Victims of kidnapping need psycho-trauma counselling — Specialist

Following increased kidnapping in Kaduna State and other north western  states, an interfaith specialist, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, has called for psycho-trauma counselling centres for victims especially women and young girls.

Tijjani said most victims of kidnapping narrate traumatic stories of being molested and tortured throughout their stay in captivity, adding that it was important for victims to get full rehabilitation as well as addressing stigma and self-isolation.

She noted that due to the psychological impact of long stay in captivity, many of the female kidnap victims find it difficult to regain trust from their husbands and relatives and stressed that creating a psycho-trauma counselling centre would help the victims.

“The centre will help them rebuild strength, courage, freedom and reunite them with their families in a friendly way; it will also train the family on how to take good care of freed victims.

“There is need to stop calling them names and halt showing them any kind of differences or stigma. There is need to train their families on ways to take care of the women because of the long stay in the hands of the abductors,” she added

While calling on members of the society to show support to female victims of kidnapping, she called on the government to bring an end to insecurity challenges bedevilling the country.