A lecturer in the department of Pharmacology, University of Calabar (UNICAL) Dr Babatunde Lawal has suffered gunshot wounds after a failed attempt to kidnap him on Saturday night.
The lecturer is in recuperating in a hospital said the incident occurred around 7:30pm when he was driving to his quarters inside the University.
He said he didn’t know the kidnappers, number eight, were trailing him.
According to him: “Just by the house, I was accosted by some men with guns; they were all armed. One of them ordered me to follow them and was with a pistol while others were with rifles told me I was under arrest and ordered me at gun point to follow them.
“When I realised they were not security personnel, I had to disobey their orders.
“Then they started hitting me. One of them slapped me from behind, they shot in the air to scare people, then shot me on my hand and leg, then my thigh
“I fell to the ground, losing so much blood. They again ordered me to get up and follow them but I couldn’t. I was gradually becoming unconscious and “fainted”.
“That was when they left me thinking I was dead. In fact one of them came back to confirm if I was truly dead.
“Since I was no longer moving, they left the scene and fled into the bush, I had to crawl and started shouting for help with my last breath.
“That was when my son heard my voice and my wife too. He thought I had been beaten by a snake when he heard me screaming.
“That was when they rushed me to the hospital. I thank God I am alive today because it could have only been God who gave me the courage. If they had succeeded kidnapping me, I don’t know what would have happened by now,” he said.