Following her narrow escape from Zamfara forest where they were held in captivity for five months, one of the 20 rescued victims, Sahura Haruna, gave a disturbing account of what transpired in the bandits’ camp.
WuzupNigeria reported that the abducted victims, which comprised five nursing mothers and their infants, a young man and nine children whose ages ranged between four and 10 years, fled from captivity following a military airstrike on the kidnappers’ den in Zamfara forest.
Katsina Post reported that after the captives successfully made their way out of the forest, they were warmly received by the State Government on Sunday.
Recounting her ordeal, Sahura who delivered a baby five days before her escape, disclosed that 28 of them were kidnapped by the bandits from their houses at Katoge in Batsari town, some times in April this year.
She recalled that she was about five months pregnant at the time of her abduction.
While in captivity she averred that about six of them were released after ransoms were paid by their relatives while two kids died of hunger and other untold hardships.
Sahura revealed that they were subjected to merciless beatings and starving in the hands of the bandits because, according to them “our relatives have failed to pay the ransom as demanded”.
According to her, a military aircraft struck last Thursday morning and dispersed the bandits, an action that paved the way for them to escape.
An emotional Sahura further narrated how they ran until they arrived at a village in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State from where they were handed over to the Security Agents who took them to the authorities in Gusau.
It was when they arrived in Gusau that they were informed that Katsina State Government had sent vehicles to transport them back home.
