Three women abducted from a herders' settlement close to Kubwa, within the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have recounted their terrifying experiences after five days in captivity.
Previously, Abuja Metro reported that assailants targeted Kungabokun and Paze—two villages in the Byazhin District—across three distinct incidents in a week, leading to the kidnapping of 16 individuals.
During a swift security operation shortly after the abductions, 13 victims were rescued, but the three women from the herders' settlement managed to escape on Thursday, reuniting with their families.
The Ordeal on the Hills
In an interview with our reporter on Sunday, the survivors—Laure Adamu, Zainab Shuaibu, and Habiba Usman—described their captivity, which took place between three hills alarmingly close to their homes.
Laure, a married woman, recounted how the attackers began brutally beating her right after rounding up the residents in their home.
The bandits opted to take Laure, another married woman, and a teenager who was there to assist with a nursing mother.
“At one point, I almost fainted from the beatings, but I found the strength to keep moving as we were led away from our village,” Laure expressed.
She pointed towards a nearby mountain, saying, “We climbed the first hill and camped on the second one for the night. The next day, we moved to a third hill, where we stayed for five days.”
Laure reported that their captors continuously assaulted them. When their wooden sticks splintered, the abductors resorted to using whips and hard-soled shoes. “They claimed my husband was wealthy,” she narrated. “They later accused our extended family of harboring a vigilante member, which we denied.”
Starvation and Cruelty
Zainab Shuaibu, the second victim, described the gunmen's brutality, revealing that they were even denied the food they were forced to prepare. The bandits had looted the ingredients from the victims' own homes.
“They forced us to carry the stolen food and cooking pots on our heads as we journeyed to their hideout,” Zainab explained. “Even though we cooked for them, they would only give us three spoonfuls of food daily.”
The Escape
Zainab detailed how they were watched over by two bandits. Typically, one would step out to patrol the area while the other kept watch to prevent any escape attempts.
“On the day we secured our freedom, both bandits chose to leave together. They bound our hands behind our backs and warned us that any escape attempt would result in them returning to our village to kill our husbands,” she noted. “Once they were away, we managed to loosen our bindings and fled successfully.”
Dalhatu Adamu, the husband of one of the survivors, expressed immense relief at their safe return.
He mentioned that the family had promptly informed the Byazhin Police Division and alerted the FCT Anti-Kidnapping Team.
“We kept in constant contact with the police until our family members returned home,” he added.
Following their escape, the women were taken to the Primary Health Care Center in Byazhin, where they received treatment for their injuries and the trauma they had endured during the five days of captivity.
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