The chilling tale of D.A. Karunadasa's abduction and subsequent rescue:

10 days of agony

by Manjula Fernando

The news of a Sri Lankan being kidnapped in Nigeria a few days ago, cast a chilling spell, bringing into vivid recall tales of abductions and violence unleashed by the Nigerian Islamist militants, Boko Haram.

The moment the news reached Sri Lanka that D.A. Karunadasa, a senior civil servant and qualified engineer working for an Italian company in Nigeria had been kidnapped, the first reaction was that he was at the mercy of unseen forces. "It will be a miracle if he ever returns to be with his family," were the thoughts running in the minds of family members, because such was the reputation of the Nigerian militants who did not have mercy and spare anyone unless their demands were met. Karunadasa was kidnapped in a brazen operation, with the militants murdering his police escort in cold blood, when the latter attempted to thwart the abduction. The driver of his vehicle too sustained gun shot wounds.

Sixty-eight-year-old Karunadasa was employed at the Italian-owned, Burni Coli Construction Company in Nigeria for well over 20 years, at the time of his kidnapping. He had lived in Nigeria all these years was not unduly bothered about what was going on around him. Being a dedicated worker, it was work and back for him. However, being aware of the volatile environent in Nigeria, he had at no point of time wanted to take his family over there. He lived a bachelor's life content with his work and his life, when out of the blue a set of Nigerian militants abducted him and held him captive for almost ten days. As soon as the company for whom Karunadasa worked realised the fate that had befallen Karunadasa , they apprised themselves of the the situation and began intense negotiations with the armed group. And just ten days after his abduction, Karunasena was released.

Concern

The Sri Lankan Government and the Nigerian authorities were concerned with the fate of Karunadasa and gave the greenlight to the Italian Company to do whatever they deemed fit to release him. It was a result of intense negotiations that Karunadasa was released ten days after being kidnapped.

The police officer who got killed during the kidnapping

Speaking to the Sunday Observer from Abhuja in the early hours of Friday, just hours after his release, Karunadasa recounted his harrowing experience. When asked if it ever crossed his mind that he may not make it alive or see his family ever again, he said "I had immense faith in the company I worked for. I knew they were doing all what they could to ensure my release,"

Karunadasa was kidnapped on May 18 in a brazen midday kidnap drama when he was traveling between the Ondo - Kogi border for some official work. At the time of the kidnapping he was accompanied by a police escort and his official driver.

Karunadasa was rescued and brought to the Sri Lankan High Commission premises in Abhuja on Thursday. He was held at a location some 300 km off the capital, Abuja. The Head of Mission and Disaster Management Minister, A.H.M. Fowzie who was in Nigeria as a special envoy of President Maithripala Sirisena to take part in the swearing in ceremony of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari received Karunadasa.

Near-death experience

Karunadasa who had dinner at the High Commisioner's residence on Thursday, the day he was rescued where he briefed the high commissioner about his near -death experience at the hands of the kidnappers.

Engineer Karunadasa with the Managing Director and the Director of the Construction Company where he has been working for over 20 years visited the High Commission on Thursday (May 28) evening. Disaster Management Minister A.H.M. Fowzie, who happened to be in Abuja also join the occasion.

Karunadasa was held in the thick jungles in Kogi state by five armed militants. They were not connected to Boko Haram or any other political entity. "The objective was purely financial," Sri Lanka's Head of mission, A.L.Ratnapala said.

According to Karunadasa there was not even a temporary shelter to accomodate him in the jungle. For nearly ten days he lived under the shade of a tree.

"There was heavy rain on two days, The militants had then given him a polythene sheet to shield himself from the pelting rain," Ratnapala said, elaborating "Given his age, it was amazing that he withstood all the hardship and was in good mental and physical state when he was released by his captors."

Following negotiations with the militants, Karunadasa was taken out of the jungle and asked to find his way. He spotted a place to make a call and informed his company of his release. The company then sent a vehicle to pick him up.

The media earlier reported that a ransom of 50 million was demanded by the kidnappers for Karunadasa's release. It was not clear whether the ransom demand was in local currency or in rupees. Whether the company Karunadasa worked for paid up is also not known.

"I was never harmed by the militants," Karunadasa said but was devastated that he could only speak a few words to his family and assure them that he was safe. The abductors allowed him to make brief calls on two occasions to convince his employers and family he was alive.

Volatile situation

Karunadasa's wife and only child, a daughter, live in Veyangoda. Given the volatile situation, Karunadasa was living in Nigeria without his family.

The daughter told the media on Thursday that words were not enough to express the elation she felt when she realised that her father had been released and was just waiting to see him back in Sri lanka safe and sound. She expected the father to return home soon.

The Head of Sri Lanka's mission, Ratnapala said, Karunadasa will settle his paper work with the company before returning to Sri Lanka within a week.

"Karunadasa was a loyal and long- standing employee of the Italian company and the company felt duty bound to do everything within its reach to secure Karunadasa's release . "They wanted to get Karunadasa out of the grips of the kidnappers and to ensure that no harm will befall the victim," Ratnapala said appreciating the role played by Karunadasa's employer to ensure that no harm befell the Sri Lankan.