A rescued abductee from Woro community in Kwara State, Fatima Mohammed, has recounted the harrowing conditions she and 144 other victims endured during more than six months in terrorist captivity.
Fatima said the victims were forced to sleep in the open, endured hunger and exposure to harsh weather, and wore the same clothes throughout their ordeal because they had nothing else to change into.
The 145 abductees were recently rescued and handed over to the Niger State Government by the Federal Government.
Speaking after regaining her freedom, Fatima said she spent six months and two weeks in captivity, describing the period as one marked by deprivation and uncertainty.
“I am very excited because I am going to be reunited with my family again,” she said.
But behind the joy of freedom was a grim account of daily survival.
Fatima said the captives had no rooms or proper shelter and were compelled to sleep outside, including during rainfall.
“There were no rooms to sleep in. We slept in the open, even when it was raining,” she recalled.
According to her, the absence of spare clothing compounded their suffering.
Whenever their clothes became soaked by rain, she said, the victims had no alternative but to wait for them to dry on their bodies.
She also disclosed that inadequate food was another major challenge confronting the abductees throughout their captivity.
Another rescued victim, 17-year-old Isyaka Ahmed, recounted the danger he faced after attempting to escape.
“They threatened to kill me when I tried to escape,” he said.
Isyaka said hunger and the physical strain of captivity were among the biggest challenges endured by the victims.
More troublingly, the teenager disclosed that some boys were still being held by the terrorists, raising fresh concerns over the fate of those yet to regain their freedom.
Despite the ordeal, Isyaka expressed relief at being reunited with his family.
Receiving the rescued victims on behalf of the Niger State Governor, the Emir of Borgu, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Dantoro, described their return as a moment of immense joy for the emirate.
“Today is like a Sallah day in our kingdom,” the traditional ruler said, while thanking God for the safe return of the abductees.
The victims’ accounts have again exposed the brutal reality faced by Nigerians held captive in remote areas, where access to shelter, adequate food and basic necessities can disappear for months at a time.
For Fatima and the others who returned, freedom has finally come—but their account of six months in captivity is a stark reminder of those still waiting to come home.