“It was terrifying. The insurgents were hitting me with a cutlass. I had wounds on my hands and head. I was lucky to survive. They told me they would release me only if they got their ransom of ₦400,000 and food worth ₦10,000. I did not believe I would make it out alive.”

These were the chilling words of a Dalori farmer who was recently kidnapped by Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS) insurgents.

In recent weeks JAS, more commonly referred to as Boko Haram, insurgents have been on a kidnapping spree in Dalori in the Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

Farmers whose lands are close to the nearby forest and residents who venture too far from the town to collect firewood are the main targets.

Apart from terrorising the residents, most of whom are farmers, the attacks and kidnappings are disrupting crop production and ruining their livelihoods. Most of them are starving and they are too scared to leave their homes.

Recently, RNI published several reports on the growing number of abductions of farmers living in Dalori. At the time, residents did not know if the armed men were insurgents or common criminals. However, in the past week some of the captives who were released after ransoms were paid confirmed their attackers were JAS members.

They said there were small groups of insurgents who lived in various parts of the forest and that it was not just one group carrying out these attacks.

A farmer, who asked to remain anonymous, told RNI that he was still in shock after being abducted last week while he was tending to his land.

“I was peacefully working on my farm when suddenly I was surrounded by four men carrying guns and cutlasses. They grabbed me roughly, tied me up and hauled me into their hideout in the forest. They said they were members of Boko Haram. There were a few more insurgents in the hideout but it was a small group of men.

“They did not have motorbikes or vehicles. But they had lots of weapons. I saw two AK-47rifles, three handmade guns, one anti-aircraft gun, knives and cutlasses. They also had lots of small cellphones which they used to communicate with people outside the forest.

“When we got to the hideout the gunmen ordered me to give them my cellphone and wanted to know which relative they could call to organise ransom arrangements so that I could be released.

“They put a knife against my neck and told me they would kill me if I lied, gave them false information or did not answer their questions truthfully. I told them who to phone to arrange the ransom payout.”

The farmer said the insurgents had kept him in a small grass hut, where he was often beaten and kicked. He said the men wore Pakistani caftans and had “crinkled hair”.

“They spoke in the Buduma dialect of Kanuri language. Their living conditions were poor. They had only dry beans to eat and a little water. So, they did not feed me or give me water. After two days, one of my relatives brought them the ransom money and they told me I could leave. It was a terrifying time for me. I did not know if my relatives would be able to pay the ransom. I feared the Boko Haram insurgents would kill me.”

The farmer said both the federal and Borno State governments needed to beef up security around Dalori town to safeguard farmers and residents.

Another Dalori farmer, who also asked to remain anonymous, told RNI how he and four other farmers were kidnapped.

“Five of us were working on our farms which are close to the nearby forest. It was about 9am on Tuesday [August 8] when the insurgents came out of the forest and abducted us. They were armed and brutal and they dragged us to their hideout. They said they wanted a ransom of ₦400,000 and food worth ₦10,000 before we would be released.

“It was terrifying. The insurgents were hitting us with cutlasses. My hands and head were wounded. I did not believe I would make it out alive. We were treated savagely, beaten and kicked for no reason.”

He said the insurgents had three manufactured guns, four handmade guns and lots of knives and cutlasses. They also had several cellphones and “radio sets to listen to world news”.

“We were terrified because we did not know what the insurgents would do with us if the ransom was not paid. We thought they would kill us. Then, when the ransom was paid on Wednesday, the insurgents released only two of us late in the afternoon. The others are still being held. We don’t know if they are still alive. As far as I know the insurgents have not demanded more ransom money, but I could be mistaken. The government must do something about this security situation that is bedevilling us.”

Baba Gana Usman, a hunter in Dalori town, said that both the local hunters and security operatives were aware of what was happening and knew about the many kidnappings. He said the insurgents did not enter the town. Instead, they attacked farmers and firewood collectors who went into the forest.

Security operatives were trying their hardest to protect the lives and property of residents in the town. But, he said, the government needed to provide adequate weapons, patrol vehicles and other necessary equipment for security operatives to safeguard the farmers on their lands and those who collected wood from the forest.

Wakil Kolo, the deputy district head of Dalori town, said that at the peak of the insurgency the residents never left town.

“Now many of them are again not leaving their homes. In the past few weeks about 20 farmers have been abducted. On Saturday [August 12] four people were kidnapped and they were released only when the ₦600,000 ransom money was paid.

“The residents are suffering. They do not have food because they can’t get to their farmlands. It is affecting people’s livelihoods. Even children are staying at home because they are too weak from hunger to go to school. He said the government urgently needed to address the plight of the people in the town by providing food, adequate security and humanitarian aid.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO