Freed corps members recount harrowing kidnap ordeal

Three of the eight abducted corps members from Akwa Ibom, who were kidnapped in Zamfara State while traveling for their national service, have recounted their traumatic experience in captivity.

Held for periods ranging from two months to over a year, the victims shared their ordeal after being freed, revealing the horrors they endured at the hands of their abductors.

In a recent interview facilitated by Matthew Koffi Okono, founder of the Open Forum Care for Humanity Foundation, the freed victims – one female and two males – detailed the physical and emotional toll they faced.

Stripped of their belongings and subjected to life-threatening conditions, the corps members were forced to live in the wild without basic necessities.

They were fed grass, drank flood water, and slept under rice sacks without proper shelter. “We saw snakes, scorpions, and bush dogs,” one of the survivors, Solomon, recalled. “It was just God that protected us.”

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The abduction occurred on August 17, 2023, along the Gusau road in Zamfara State. The group’s driver had slowed down at a roadblock set by the kidnappers, thinking it was a checkpoint.

Armed men, some wearing military camouflage, forced them into the bush where they were held in squalid conditions. While three of the passengers managed to escape, the rest were taken deep into the forest.

Solomon, who was held for over a year, described how he was singled out and tortured for refusing to pay ransom. “They beat me, made me eat grass, and drink flood water. For three months, I couldn’t urinate or defecate,” he shared, showing scars on his head and arms from the beatings. He was later moved to Kaduna on a motorcycle and held in isolation for several months, during which he suffered severe health issues without medical care.

His female colleague, who was held for two months, spoke of the degrading conditions. “As a lady, I wore the same clothing for two months, even during my period. There was no proper hygiene, and we bathed maybe three times.”

The survivors expressed immense gratitude to the military for their rescue efforts.

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“I was freed on August 22, 2024, after over a year in captivity. The Army, President Bola Tinubu, and NYSC Director-General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed all played significant roles in securing our release,” Solomon said.

Upon their release, the corps members were given the option to either resume their service or restart. They chose to continue and have now received their discharge certificates. However, they are pleading for government employment to help them rebuild their lives after the trauma.

“We appeal to the federal and Akwa Ibom state governments to grant us employment. We’ve suffered so much, and staying idle at home would only add to our trauma. We want to work and support our families,” the freed victims urged.

Their ordeal highlights the growing insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria, where kidnapping for ransom has become rampant.

Experts stress the urgent need for more robust security measures to protect citizens and prevent similar tragedies.