Some captives recently released by armed bandits in Zamfara state revealed how they were not able to take shelter from rainfall and harsh sunny weather for the five weeks they were held in captivity.
Disclosing the sad experience to Caliphate Trust shortly after they were released and handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Nagogo, one of the freed captives, Sani Liman said the armed men didn’t allow them to take shelter from rainfall.
“The worst moment in the days we were held captives was when we could not take cover from rainfall whether heavy or drizzles. Sometimes we would get completely drenched in the heavy downpour and our captors wouldn’t mind.
“Despite the seemingly increasing harsh weather, none of our captors cared to, at least, allow us to cover ourselves. It was raining day and night and we were packed in an open air space thus exposing us to possible catarrh and other diseases,” he lamented.
Liman said some of them caught cold and spent weeks without any medication. One of us was suffering from an injury on his leg and despite the injury nothing was done by the armed men to show that they were concerned with his health condition.
Another captive told our correspondent that he took no bath throughout his stay with armed bandits in the forest adding that some armed men were assigned to monitor their movement.
“There was a time some of us were allowed to take bath. Two heavily armed bandits escorted us to a nearby stream. We pulled off our clothes in their presence and took a bath at the stream. Before we left they were warned that they would face dire consequences if they allowed us to escape.
“We were being closely monitored and I can tell you that we usually received serious beatings at the slightest mistake. If I can show you my back now you will be shocked at the scars embedded in me as a result of beating,” he added.
On how they were abducted he said they were taken by the armed men after an attack on Gama Giwa village in Maradun local government area of the state. He said he was kidnapped by the armed men alongside his elder brother at that time.
He said they placed a ransom of N500,000 on each of them but the money was not paid to the captors before they were rescued adding that if not for their rescue he wouldn’t know the time they would regain freedom.
The freed captives thanked Governor Bello Mutawalle for initiating the peace deal and the state police boss Mr Usman Nagogo for leading his men inside the forest to take them back.
