After she lived as a refugee in Australia for 11 years, Noela Rukundo, a mother of eight flied to her hometown in east Africa to attend a family member’s funeral.
In 2015, Noela was resting in her hotel room when she received a call from her husband, Balenga, telling to come outside for fresh air.
Following her husband’s suggestion, Noela stepped outside but she was surprised when a man came behind her with a gun. The stranger threatened her and forced her into a car. Then rove them to a remote building.
Noela tied up and held captive by a group of kidnappers, expected the worst.
“What did you do to this man?” one of the kidnappers asked her. “Why has this man asked us to kill you?’”
Noela, frightened and can’t hide her emotions, had no idea what the man was talking about.
Kidnappers were getting impatient to know the real story so they called the man who hired them to get rid of Noela and put him on speakerphone. Noela, in shock, quickly recognized the man’s voice on the other phone line. It was definitely her own husband
Scroll down to see how this truly unbelievable story unfurled…
Noela Rukundo is an African refugee who’s been living in Australia for 11 years along with her husband, Balenga Kalala and her eight children
In January 2015, Noela’s stepmother passed away, so the couple had to fly to Burundi in east Africa to attend the late woman’s funeral.
While relaxing in her hotel room, Noela got a phone call from her husband Kalala who asked her to get fresh air outside.
She did… but then she spotted a strange man walking straight towards her.
The man suddenly pulled out a gun and told Noela not to make a sound. He forced her into a car and drove to a remote building.
Kidnappers tied Noela to a chair, then she heard them saying they had to inform “the boss.”
“What did you do to this man?” the kidnappers asked her. “Why has this man asked us to kill you?’”
But Noela had absolutely no clue what or who they were talking about.
“Your husband!” the kidnappers yelled in anger.
Noela couldn’t believe it and called them liars. It was impossible Kalala set this up!
“Let me call who has paid us to kill you,” they said.
A guy answered their call, Noela heard her own husband’s voice on the loudspeaker saying, “Kill her.”
kidnappers held Noela captive for two long days and eventually let her go without telling Kalala.
“We don’t kill women and children,” they told her.
They got more money from Kalala and lied to him telling him that Noala is dead.
The men also had a stunning instruction for Noela: tell other women to leave their violent husbands.
Noela secretly flied back to Australia, where her funeral was already being held.
She was standing watching mourners leaving her own service, then she stepped inside and came face to face with Kalala.
Her husband was absolutely aghast. “Is it my eyes? Is it a ghost?!” he exclaimed.
Kalala even touched her shoulder to make sure he wasn’t seeing his wife’s ghost and jumped back in disbelief. He even apologized.
But Noela felt suddenly in a state of power — “like somebody who had risen again.”
Noela called the police and told them everything.
At first, Kalala denied the assassination plot. But as it turned out, the kidnappers provided authorities with recordings of Kalala organizing the hit and money-transfer receipts as proof of the contract killing. When police played him the evidence, he broke down.
Still, Kalala had no real explanation for the evil plot against his wife.
The unbelievable story went viral.
Commenters couldn’t help but note Noela’s experience would make the perfect movie plot for a heart-pounding thriller.
Kalala plead guilty to incitement to murder and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
As for Noela, revenge was certainly sweet.
“I will stand up like a strong woman,” she told The Washington Post.
“My situation, my past life? That is gone. I’m starting a new life now.”
Watch the full news report about the story in the video below:
