The 70-year-old uncle of President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said the he was tortured by his abductors to force the first family pay a ransom for his release.

Inengite Nitabai, who was abducted by about 10 gunmen at his home in Otuoke on February 28, was abandoned by his kidnappers at Ogboma, off Odioma in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, according to the Police.

“I was tortured and beaten with guns and kicked with legs on the floor. When I was young, there was no such thing as kidnapping. I don’t know why it must be me,” the septuagenarian recounted.

Nitabai, who described the experience as “traumatic”, said the gunmen tied his hands, blind-folded him and tortured him in order to make him convince the president and other family members to pay up the ransom.

“I thank God for keeping me alive. I was made to sleep on the bare floor and fed with Garri and red oil for three weeks in the bush,” he added.

Earlier, the commissioner of Police, Hilary Opara, told newsmen that no ransom was paid for his release and hailed the special anti-kidnapping squad led by Chris Nwogwu, for applying ‘utmost professionalism’ in the way they carried out the operations that led to Nitabai’s freedom.

“No ransom was paid. We are going to arrest other persons involved in this crime,” he stated.