Comedian General Odey recounts 50 days of horror in kidnappers’ den

Popular comedian, Odey Mathias, also known as General Odey, has shared his ordeal after spending about 50 days in the custody of kidnappers.

The comedian, who appeared on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, described the experience as “horrible and unimaginable,” adding that he would not wish it on his worst enemy.

Odey was abducted on April 18, 2025, along with 23 others, while travelling to Calabar through the Oron/Uyo waterways.

According to him, the kidnappers fired gunshots and rammed their boat into his before transferring the passengers into another vessel. They were then moved for about 40 minutes to an unknown location.

He said while most of the hostages spent fewer days, his stay lasted longer, possibly because he was dressed in a military-style uniform.

We were beaten, starved, and warned never to look at their faces. Anytime we tried, they hit us,” he said.

Odey explained that they were kept in a creek-like community where the kidnappers lived with their families. He said the captors played loud music, fired shots in the air, and only took them to areas with phone signals when demanding ransom.

Unlike others, Odey said he was barely allowed to contact his family. “I only spoke to my wife twice — one week after the abduction and on the day I was released,” he recounted.

The comedian revealed that his family worked with a security agency during the ordeal. After the first ransom of over ₦3m was paid, the kidnappers demanded more, bringing the total to about ₦8m before his release.