Graduates from Akwa Ibom State, who were kidnapped last year in Zamfara while en route to their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) duty in Sokoto State, have called on the Federal and state governments for employment assistance to aid their recovery from the trauma they endured.
The eight ex-corps members, abducted on August 17, 2023, alongside their bus driver, were ambushed on the Zamfara highway.
Their ordeal in captivity, marked by torture, starvation, and fear, lasted for months, with the last victim, Solomon Daniel, finally being released after over a year of captivity.
Speaking in Uyo on Thursday, several of the survivors described ongoing health challenges and post-traumatic stress from their time in the kidnappers’ den.
Solomon Daniel, who was held the longest, shared his harrowing experience.
He explained that he was separated from his colleagues for refusing to pay a ransom, as his widowed mother could not afford the amount demanded by their captors.
“I went through hell,” Daniel recounted. “I survived by chewing leaves and drinking filthy water. I never knew if I would make it out alive.”
“I was tortured daily from morning till evening. For three months, I couldn’t defecate or urinate. I thought death was inevitable,” recalled Daniel, who was labelled the ‘most stubborn’ by his captors.
He described how he was transported by motorcycle from Zamfara to Kaduna through bush paths, constantly guarded by over 10 armed men until his eventual rescue by security operatives.
Another victim, Victoria Bassey, shared her harrowing experience: “I never imagined I would survive such horrendous conditions. Even during our menstrual periods, we couldn’t bathe. We were forced to drink flood water to stay alive.”
Etim Bassey explained how the kidnappers, disguised in military uniforms, set up a fake checkpoint in Zamfara, where their bus was intercepted.
“We thought it was a real checkpoint, as the area was blocked with logs and manned by armed men in military attire, who then forced us into the forest,” he said.
The rescued corps members expressed deep gratitude to everyone involved in their release, appealing for employment opportunities and other support from the state and federal governments to aid their recovery.
However, they thanked President Bola Tinubu, NYSC Director-General Gen Yusha’u Ahmed, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, security forces, and all Nigerians who contributed to their freedom.
Matthew Koffi Okono, Founder and President of the Open Forum Care for Humanity Foundation, which facilitated the forum that allowed them to share their stories, echoed their call for job opportunities and urged the government to assist with their post-traumatic healing process.
He also advocated for reforms in the NYSC scheme, stating, “The Federal Government should focus on making the NYSC program more development-oriented and safer, to enhance its value in nation-building.”
