Ga. man held hostage in Nigeria returns home

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga.,None — A Carroll County man who was held hostage in Nigeria for 10 days is now home safe.

Greg Ock told Channel 2 Action News reporter Diana Davis that he feared he would never see his wife and children again.

"I was terrified the whole time," Ock said.

Ock, a secretary, his driver and a mobile police guard known as a "Mo Po" had just made a withdrawal from an ATM when a band of armed robbers ambushed the group on a dusty road.

"He came running up beside the van, just told the Mo Po, 'Die Mo Po, die.' Shot him, five times I think, shot Felix (the driver) in the stomach," Ock said.

The robbers grabbed Ock and raced off with police chasing them.

"(We) crashed a few road blocks, (there were) a few more gun battles. It was pretty scary," Ock said. "I didn't know what these guys were going to do. I had already watched them kill a guard and shoot Felix."

Ock said he was chained to a chair for days and threatened with the gun taken from his murdered guard.

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"They would bring the Mo Po's gun and ask, 'You know what this is?' I said, 'Yeah.' (They said) 'This is what we're going to kill you with.' And he showed me two bullets. He said, 'Your two bullets right here,'" Ock said, pointing to his chest.

Last year, there were five reported kidnappings of United States citizens in Nigeria, according to the state department. All five were held for ransom.

"They kept telling me, 'All we want is money to buy weapons.' That's all they would say," Ock said.

Ock's company, a Japanese firm, made a deal with the kidnappers. He said he does not know how much money was actually paid, but that they initially asked for $300,000.

Ock was released about 10 days after he was kidnapped

Ock had been working as a construction engineer in Nigeria for about 18 months when he was kidnapped.

Ock said his company has since made security improvements.

WSBTV