According to a report by The PUNCH, residents of Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State who were recently freed after spending nearly three months in terrorist captivity have shared details of the difficult conditions they endured during their detention.
The survivors, who spoke separately in Pulka on Monday, described their ordeal as a period marked by hunger, inadequate shelter, poor sleeping conditions, and limited access to clean water. They also revealed that some children lost their lives while being held by the insurgents.
The victims were among hundreds of residents abducted during an attack on Ngoshe on March 4, 2026. Reports indicated that approximately 416 residents, mostly women and children, were taken away during the assault. About 360 of them were eventually rescued and reunited with their families.
According to the freed captives, food was scarce throughout their detention. They said they survived mainly on small quantities of guinea corn provided by their captors, which served as their primary source of sustenance during the period.
Some of the survivors also raised questions about events that occurred shortly before their release. They alleged that several newly purchased bags, suspected to contain money or other items, were transported to the terrorists’ hideout in the mountains days before they regained their freedom.
One of the victims, identified as Aishat, recounted witnessing the arrival of several bags at the camp. She said, “They never told us whether they had been paid anything, but before we came out, we saw them bringing about eight or nine new Ghana-Must-Go bags up the mountain on motorcycles.
“I didn’t see what was inside, but it was the first time I had seen such bags there.”
Aishat explained that while the captives faced severe hardship, the women were not physically abused by the terrorists during their detention. She noted that the women were kept separately from the men, although living conditions remained extremely difficult for everyone held at the camp.
The testimonies of the survivors provide a disturbing insight into the conditions endured by those abducted during the attack and highlight the ongoing humanitarian challenges faced by communities affected by insurgency in northeastern Nigeria.
Source: The PUNCH