Two police officers’ wives, who were abducted by insurgents in an attack on Dikwa, Borno State, have escaped after being held for more than a year.
Anna, who did not want to give her full name, told RNI reporter Rawa Dikwa, that she and her friend – both police officer’s wives – were abducted with four of their children at the beginning of January 2021.
“The insurgents attacked Dikwa town that dreadful day. Then they came inside our house, shooting their way in. They picked me and my friend and four of our children and put us inside a vehicle. We did not know where they were taking us. From the car they put us inside a canoe, crossed a river and took us to another place that we did not know. We just did not know where we were. It was very frightening. Later we realised it was near the border of Nigeria and Chad,” she said.
“The insurgents kept us in the bushes around the region near Chad. It was a terrible place. We tried to make it as livable and comfortable as possible, but it was never like being at home. Every day we cried. Every day we hoped someone would find us. And every day begged God to help us,” Anna said.
“The insurgents used to feed us but, again, it was not like the food we ate at home. It was horrible. And many times they did not give us any food and we would stay hungry for days at a time, going to bed with empty tummies. We just tried to make the best of what we could do because we were stuck there.”
Anna said they managed to escape into the bushes on Tuesday, March 29, without the insurgents – who were attending a meeting – noticing they were fleeing.
“We were grateful because if they had seen us, they would probably have killed us or punished us severely. They were cruel men. They treated us like slaves and hit us if we resisted or refused to do what they wanted,” she said.
“We escaped without the insurgents seeing us. Our four children were with us. It was not easy. We walked for two days in the forest before reaching a village called Bulga where we found someone with a car who agreed to take us to Dikwa. He was very kind to us and we are thankful for all he did for us,” she said.
“We are so happy to still be alive and back with our families and friends. It was wonderful to be reunited with our husbands whom we missed every single day. They were afraid that the insurgents would kill us and our children. They did not know if they would ever see us again. And we did not know if we would ever see them again.”
Anna said: “We are most grateful to God who helped us escape and guided us through the forest. It was the Almighty who actually brought us home.”
AISHA JAMAL
