Barnali Baruah Saikia, a 30-year-old Indian woman and fitness coach from Guwahati, Assam, was rescued from a 14-day captivity in Lagos, Nigeria. The assailant, identified as a Nigerian national named King, along with his accomplice Daniel, held Barnali captive after her arrival in Nigeria on October 28, 2023, for what was meant to be a vacation.
Barnali’s husband, Nayan Saikia, had introduced her to King on social media six months prior to the incident. The acquaintance developed into a friendship through chats and video calls, leading Barnali to make the decision to visit Nigeria on a tourist visa. However, the situation took a dark turn when King allegedly seized her visa, passport, and cash upon her arrival at the Lagos airport.
During her 14-day ordeal, Barnali was confined to a room and deprived of adequate food. She managed to contact her family on the fourth day through a WhatsApp call, seeking help for her release. King reportedly demanded a ransom from her family and threatened them, prompting them to file a complaint with the Dispur Police station and seek assistance from the Delhi Crime Branch.
Nayan Saikia, her husband, recounted the distressing experience, stating, “She was not even provided water to drink. Although they snatched her money and passport, she was given her phone to contact her family.” He revealed that King demanded money for her release, leading to payments of up to Rs. 1 lakh.
The rescue was orchestrated with the assistance of the media and Nigerian nationals studying in Assam. Nayan explained, “When the news was broadcasting on media channels, the Nigerian students who were studying here contacted their country to inform them of the situation.” Additionally, a friend who owns a hotel in Nigeria, 40 km away from the place of captivity, played a crucial role in the rescue.
While there are conflicting reports on whether the incident constitutes a ‘kidnap,’ Nayan emphasized, “I don’t know what the appropriate term media or police would use, but my wife, Barnali, was indeed held captive by the miscreants, and we were demanded ransom for her release.”
However, Barnali is now safe and with her family, experienced mental and physical distress due to the denial of food and water during her captivity.
