43-year-old realtor Jimi Folarin, who vanished days ago after a routine property inspection in Ikorodu, Lagos State, has miraculously escaped from a kidnappers’ den.
This escape follows a wave of viral reports that sparked widespread concern for his safety.
Jimi Folarin’s ordeal began when he left his home at precisely 4 PM on Wednesday, responding to a call from a client for a property inspection in the Imota area. His sister, Omowunmi, recounted the distressing period following his disappearance, noting, “He had not answered his phone since then.”
The family promptly reported the case to the Igbogbo Police Station in Ikorodu as worry and fear mounted.
The saga took a surprising turn late Friday when Omowunmi informed Vanguard that her brother had returned home, having escaped from a kidnappers’ hideout in Sagamu, Ogun State. Sharing the harrowing details of his abduction, Omowunmi relayed her brother’s chilling experience. “According to him, he took a bike from his house to Itamaga. When he got to Itamaga, he met the supposed client with a coaster bus. He entered the vehicle and found five men inside. Immediately he entered; they pointed a gun at him and told him to keep quiet.”
Despite his initial fear, Folarin maintained his composure, even questioning his captors, “‘I thought you guys said we were going for the land?’ They said yes, let’s go for the land inspection. As they were going, they forced him to bow his head down. He then found himself inside a bungalow and didn’t know the direction.”
Inside the den, Folarin discovered he was not alone. “In the room, which was a bungalow, there were many people who had also been kidnapped,” Omowunmi explained. Seizing a rare opportunity, Folarin managed to outsmart his captors. He feigned an urgent need to use the toilet, and as the guards became distracted, he made his daring escape. “He noticed the guards were distracted, talking while facing away from him. That’s how he figured out a narrow way to the backyard, jumped the fence, and landed in a bush.”
Navigating through unfamiliar territory, Folarin encountered a local woman who informed him he was in Sagamu. From there, the kindness of strangers guided him back to safety, as he recounted, “He found his way to Ogijo, with the help of people who gave him money along the way when he explained his ordeal to them.”
Remarkably, Folarin revealed that the kidnappers had not yet demanded a ransom from him, although others in captivity were not as fortunate. “They didn’t ask me for ransom, but they were asking for ransom from others that I met there. It just hadn’t gotten to my turn before I escaped.”
