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At least 13 captives died and 12 children remain in the custody of terrorists following the abduction of residents of Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, survivors have revealed.
The victims, who were among 176 women and children abducted during a February 3 attack, were rescued on Wednesday after spending nearly six months in captivity.
The survivors disclosed the grim details on Friday in Ilorin while speaking with Saturday PUNCH after they were formally received by the Kwara State Government.
According to one of the survivors, Nafisat Abdulfatai, the captives endured severe hunger and lived in deplorable conditions throughout their ordeal.
She said the captives were usually given only one meal a day, often consisting of food prepared with little more than salt.
“We sometimes had nothing to eat from morning until night. Sometimes, our only meal came around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. The suffering was unimaginable,” she said.
Abdulfatai said 13 people died during the period of captivity, while 12 children remained behind because the terrorists threatened that anyone attempting to escape would be enslaved.
She said some of the children were specifically prevented from leaving because the terrorists considered them old enough to remain in the camp.
The survivor also disclosed that pregnant women gave birth in captivity, but several babies died.
According to her, about six or seven women lost their babies, while others were eventually rescued with their children.
The captives initially slept in the open forest, exposed to rain and other harsh conditions, before their captors erected a makeshift shelter after some children had died.
Abdulfatai said the number of captives later increased after about 76 people from another settlement were brought into the camp.
“We slept under that temporary structure like animals. Whenever it rained, some people had to sleep on top of others because there was no space,” she recounted.
She said the terrorists occasionally slaughtered cattle for the captives and provided clothing, but the gestures did little to alleviate the harsh conditions.
Another survivor, Nafisat Yusuf, described the months in captivity as an experience of extreme suffering.
“Many children died while we were there. The suffering was indescribable,” Yusuf said.
She disclosed that security personnel eventually arrived in the forest and evacuated the captives, although the victims could not identify the soldiers involved in the rescue.
Yusuf said the terrorists stormed Woro on February 3 and abducted residents after attacking the community.
She said the captives were occasionally given food and basic supplies but remained constantly exposed to fear, hunger and illness.
“I thank Almighty God that we have finally regained our freedom,” she said.
The February attack reportedly involved scores of gunmen who invaded Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities on motorcycles, killing residents and destroying homes, shops and the palace of the traditional ruler.
The attackers were believed to be members of a terrorist group opposed to the communities’ rejection of their extremist ideology.
The survivors are now receiving medical attention and rehabilitation after their prolonged ordeal.
While their rescue has brought relief to their families, the revelation that 13 captives died and 12 children remain in the terrorists’ custody underscores the continuing danger confronting communities in parts of Kwara.
The immediate priority, therefore, is to secure the safe return of the children still being held and ensure that the rescued victims receive sustained medical, psychological and social support as they begin the difficult process of rebuilding their lives.
