How Peter Otulu’s song saved me from kidnappers’ den – 35-year-old plumber

Wonders, they say “shall never end”. The bizarre testimony of a 35-year-old plumber, Isaiah Ogwuche, at a local church in New Nyanya area of Nasarawa State, recently, aptly reaffirmed the infinity of wonders.

In what sounds like a Nollywood movie storyline, Ogwuche, a native of Benue State, recounted how he was “miraculously” saved by the song of late Idoma gospel crooner, Evangelist Peter Owoicho Otulu, from his kidnappers’ den in Kaduna.

He recounted how he spent 12 days in kidnappers’ den and was miraculously rescued after one of his abductors listened to a song on his phone.

Worshipers were stunned by the shocking testimony and rolled down tears as they expressed gratitude to God.

According to Ogwuche: “I was on my way to Kaduna State. I am a plumber and I got a contract around around Kawo.

We were on our way very early, shortly before Jere, some gunmen accosted our vehicle and marched everyone of us into the bush.

We treked from 6am till about 4pm before we reached their camp. When we got to their camp, we saw other captors already tied to trees.

“Immediately we got there, their boss, a hefty looking man said we must be tired and needed to drink something.

He ordered one of the women who was earlier kidnapped to urinate inside a container and asked all of us to drink. Anyone who tried to reject the urine was beaten mercilessly.

They seized our phones, ATM cards and all our belongings the moment we entered the bush.

When it was 11pm, the deputy camp commander asked us to prepare dinner.

They brought a raw casava and asked us to cook it.

The pot they gave us was so dirty. When we put it on fire, in less than two mins, they said food was ready. They forced us to eat it that night.

While we were in the camp, they were bringing more people and freeing those who had paid ramson.

The routine continued for about five days.

I could recall a pregnant woman died in the camp and they asked the men among us to take her for burial.

So, when it was our turn, they brought out all our phones and asked us to tell them the person they should call in our contact for ransom. This time, it was around 7pm.

The moment they put on your phone, they would check your message inbox to know if you have bank alert to know how much you worth.

They entered my inbox and saw N500,000 alert of the money I was supposed to used in buying materials for the job I was going to do. The moment the boy saw the alert, he told the boss “meat dey”.

He now asked me to tell them the person to call. I told them to call my wife because she must have been worried.

While we were about to do that, the  client in Kaduna started calling back to back.

Now, my ringtone is Omanchala by Peter Otulu. So when it rang, the camp commander got angry and ordered them to switch off the phone.

And asked them to take me to another place called camp of no return and wait for further instruction.

It took us about 20 minutes to arrive at the new place. It is at the foot of the mountain.

There, I saw over four lifeless bodies believe to have been killed not up to 1 hour and some other people who were still alive.

I spent like three days there and it was hell. Once it is 3pm, they would order us to lie down and face the sun.

They would beat us and say, so, una no wan pay ransom abi. Sometimes, they would bring one satchet water for 10 people.

This night, the overall boss came from the other camp and said he’s giving me the last chance to call my family to raise N15m by 10am the following day.

We put on the phone again and this time, my phone started ringing and it was my wife.

The man heard the ringtone again and this time, he coked his gun and ordered me to lie down.

My wife kept calling back to back and he said I should talk to her.

I informed my wife about my ordeal that she should call my house fellowship leader and other people.

This time, I noticed the man became uncomfortable and left.

We waited till the next day by 6pm and he came to the camp again that he was giving me the last chance to raise the money.

They put on my phone and it was ringing again, this time it was my elder brother.

This time, they didn’t allow me talk to him, the man only said stop calling this line, this man is dead and he hung up.

Daddy (the pastor) called also and he aborted the call and switched off the phone and angrily left.

While in that camp of no return, they usually take people out to kill by 12-3am.

This time, the  Commander returned to the camp around 2am and accused me of sending a text message to the police.

I tried to explain that I didn’t, he insisted that I did and must waste my life.

He ordered one of the boys to blindfold me that he was going to personally deal with me.

He held me by the hand and lead me to some killomters away from them.

When we were out of sight, he untied me (This time, he was looking sad).

He asked me, what is the meaning of that song you used as your ringtone.

I told him Omanchala by Peter Otulu and it means ‘Almighty’ who can do what you have done? I told him the man is even dead.

He looked into my eyes and said, he doesn’t know the meaning of the song but each time my phone rings and the song comes up, he felt a burden in his heart not to hurt me.

He told me the song kept playing on his mind even when the phone was off. He said, each time he hears the song, he saw many people with white gowns with flaming swords sorrounding me.

That he would not kill me that I should find my way out of the camp. He gave me a direction to follow that I will arrive a village near Ushafa.

He said, for him to make his colleagues believe I have been killed, he would have to shoot into the air.

He shot like three times into the air and asked me to run.

He gave me my phone and ATM card.

I started running even when I didn’t know where I was going.

It was around 4am so I treked until I came out.

While running, I kept humming the song, Omanchala onye lofu Yoda na yaaa, Omanchala onye lofu Liye la Le a.

When I came out, I had to call my sister-in-law who lives around Dei Dei.

That was how God rescued me from kibdnapers den.”