Three corps members from Akwa Ibom State, have shared their traumatic experiences after being kidnapped in Zamfara State while en route for their mandatory national service.
The abduction, which occurred on August 17, 2023, involved eight individuals, but only three have come forward to narrate their ordeal.
The victims, who spent between two months and a year in captivity, described living in a forest without shelter, where they were exposed to wild animals and harsh conditions. "We encountered wild animals, fed with grasses, flood water," one of the freed abductees recounted, highlighting the dire circumstances they faced.
They were forced to survive on grasses and flood water, enduring torture and the constant threat of violence.
One male corps member, identified as Solomon, was singled out by the captors for his perceived stubbornness. He was beaten, tortured, and transported to Kaduna on a motorcycle through bush tracks.
"I was beaten, tortured and forced to eat grass and drink flood water," Solomon revealed, showing scars from his ordeal.
The captives expressed gratitude to the Federal and Akwa Ibom State governments, as well as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), for their efforts in securing their release.
Military intervention played a crucial role in their rescue, with Solomon being freed on August 22, 2024, after more than a year in captivity.
Comments