‘We saw death and suffering’: Dozens of Nigerians freed after 6 months in jihadi captivity

Some of the 163 kidnapped Nigerians rescued from jihadi captivity have spoken of the suffering and fear they lived in for six months. ILORIN, Kwara (AP) — Some of the 163 kidnapped Nigerians rescued from jihadi captivity have spoken of the suffering and fear they lived in for six months. The freed captives, mostly women and children, were among over 300 kidnap victims freed by Nigerian forces this week.

They were handed over to the authorities by security forces in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara state, on Friday for medical attention and routine checks, and were anticipating their return home to reunite with their families. Mary Ishaya recalled days without food, and being asked alongside others to bury other hostages who died in captivity. The 44-year-old, who had never touched a dead body or buried one before, said: “I still cannot find the right words to describe what has happened to us.

We saw death and suffering.” The Nigerians were abducted on Feb. 3 when jihadi militants stormed the village of Woro, killing over 160 others. In the hospital where they were receiving medical attention, the freed captives looked emaciated with many laying on the floor, barely able to stand, while others had injuries and emotional scars from their ordeal.

Some of the women were informed that their husbands had been among those killed during the February attack. Some told The Associated Press how they had given up on any hope of returning home. Others recounted people falling sick, being beaten by the rain, and told to hide whenever Nigerian military helicopters flew over the forest hideouts where the captors held them.

Amira Saliu, a nurse who was among those freed, said she helped about 10 pregnant women deliver their babies in the forests. “I had no choice but to use my bare hands,” she said. Locals in Woro said they suspected the killings and kidnapping were a punishment for their resistance to the preachings of the jihadis.

Hauwa Saliu recalled how the captors constantly asked the abductees if they had accepted those preachings. Saliu, whose husband was killed in the attack, said she refused to accept them. “We prayed to God to help us go back home, but it never really crossed our minds that we were going to go back home,” the 30-year-old said.