We ate grass, drank flood water to survive in kidnappers’ den -Freed NYSC members

Eight former members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were kidnapped in Zamfara State on August 17, 2023, while traveling to Sokoto State for their mandatory one-year national service, have been reunited with their families in Akwa Ibom after being released by their captors.

Traumatic Experiences

The rescued corps members shared their harrowing experiences, including being tortured, fed grass, and forced to drink flood water.

Solomon Bassey Daniel, one of the rescued members, recounted how they stayed in a forest with no shelter, sleeping on rice sacks, and were subjected to physical abuse.

“The place is a forest. It was an open place and there was no shelter. There were only rice sacs which we put on the ground to sleep. Anytime it rained, we would go under the tree shades for cover until the rains stopped.

“All of us, including the kidnappers, stayed there together. They never left us; the only difference was that they held us in captivity and were expecting ransom or money at the end of the day.

“While we were only expecting our freedom, they used to that kind of lifestyle while we were not. It was a traumatic experience.

They singled me (Solomon) out and said I’m the most stubborn of us all. This could be because I told them there was no money to pay for my ransom and when they contacted my parents, they also told them that there was no money.

They threatened to kill one of us so that we would know that they were serious. I was beaten, tortured and forced to eat grass and drink flood water. Before the grass incident, we stayed for three weeks without food and water. I was later chained and transported from Zamfara to Kaduna on motorcycle through bush tracks.

That was around December, I was very sick; for three months, I couldn’t urinate or defecate, I thought I would die. From the torture and beatings, I had a tear on my head and arms. All these marks on my body (showing off the marks) were from there.

There was nothing like medical care. If you complain, they’ll ask you to sit down. I was just there. I wore the same clothes for the one year I stayed with them and bathed like three times.

Our routine in the forest

Nothing, when I wake up, I’ll just start my own prayer and be sitting down, nowhere to go to, no one to talk to because I was separated from others. Sometimes they asked me to fetch water and I will go with like three armed guards to get it for them.

At some point, I lost hope of coming out alive but I still believed in God. I believed that one day I’ll be released and God did it for me. I thank the Nigeria Army for rescuing me.

Daniel Etim Bassey, another rescued member, narrated his ordeal:

“The incident happened on August 17, 2023. It was along Gusau road, Zamfara State. You can’t move at speed because of bad spots on the road. They mounted a road block with logs of wood and we thought it was a checkpoint.

“Our driver slowed down waiting for them to remove the blockade. Unfortunately, the guys came out, some were wearing kaftans; some put on military camouflage and insignia.

“They were well armed and they marshaled us out into the bush, including the driver. They carried some of our luggage, stripped us of our belongings, but in the process of taking us into the bush, about three persons escaped.”

Victoria Bassey, a female, also narrated her experience:

“For me, I stayed there for two months. I gained freedom in October 2023. I never believed that I could survive a day in the forest. As my colleague said, for three weeks, there was nothing like food or water until it rained.

“We were drinking the flood water. So many of us fell sick. It was horrible. We were kept in a small place and you could not go anywhere. The issue is that the people you were facing did not even understand your dialect or English language, even pidgin.

“We were trying as much as possible to use sign language to communicate. Also, there was a way you would behave. They would think you wanted to escape and that would even earn us severe beating. Even as a lady. I wore only one piece of clothing for two months.

“Even when you are in your period, you are just there, not moving anywhere to clean up. I can’t remember bathing up to three times before I was rescued.”

The NYSC presented the rescued members with their discharge certificates and offered two options: to continue their service year or start afresh.

Call for Employment and Support

Meanwhile, The Open Forum Care for Humanity Foundation has called on the federal and state governments to offer automatic employment to the rescued NYSC members to ease their post-traumatic experiences.

Citizen Matthew Koffi Okono, founder of Open Forum Care, stated, “We want to use this opportunity to thank the President, Bola Tinubu, and our governor and indeed the DG of NYSC for the part they played in the release of the Corp members and to appeal to both the federal and Akwa Ibom State government to offer automatic employment to ease their post-traumatic experiences.”

The rescued corps members have also appealed for employment opportunities and any form of assistance to help heal their trauma.

“We are appealing to the government to provide us with employment or any other form of assistance to help us overcome our traumatic experiences,” Victoria Bassey said.

NYSC

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a one-year national service program for Nigerian graduates, established in 1973.

Its primary objectives are promoting national unity and integration, developing skills and capacity for self-employment, and encouraging active participation in nation-building.

The program is mandatory for all Nigerian citizens who graduate from accredited institutions, typically between the ages of 18 and 30.

During the service year, corps members undergo a three-week orientation, followed by a primary assignment to various organizations, schools, hospitals, or government agencies for 10 months.

Through the NYSC, participants engage in community development projects, fostering national integration and social cohesion.

The program provides benefits such as a monthly stipend, a Certificate of National Service upon completion, and opportunities for skills development and networking.

Corps members are deployed to various states, often outside their state of origin, to promote cultural exchange and understanding.

The NYSC offers full-time and part-time service options, as well as exemptions for certain categories.