Residents of Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State have opened up about the difficult ordeal they faced after spending about three months in the custody of terrorists.
The survivors, who were recently released, narrated their experiences in interviews with The PUNCH in Pulka, describing the period as one marked by extreme hardship, deprivation and uncertainty.
Reports had earlier indicated that about 360 people were among 416 residents, largely women and children, who were, taken during an attack on Ngoshe on March 4, 2026.
The freed residents revealed that survival during their captivity depended mainly on limited supplies of guinea corn provided by their abductors. They explained that meals were scarce, with some captives forced to go for long periods without adequate food.
A survivor, Halima Musa, disclosed that the women were tasked with preparing whatever food materials were given to them by the terrorists.
She explained that the captives often ate only once daily, sometimes without any accompanying soup, adding that the women had to cook the available food themselves.
Musa further recounted that they were kept on a mountain where they slept on bare ground and struggled with poor access to water.
She added that the harsh conditions took a heavy toll on the captives, as six children reportedly died during the period they remained in captivity.
“While in captivity, we lost six children — two boys and four girls. They died after falling sick,” she said.
Another survivor, who requested anonymity, alleged that the terrorists had what appeared to be an organised system for distributing food among the captives.
“I noticed that some people brought food supplies. They would drop some there and take the rest to other terrorist locations. From the way the food was being distributed, I suspected they might have farms somewhere,” the source said.
