Some family members of the 416 persons abducted from Ngoshe in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State have relived the agonising moments terrorists invaded the community and the anguish they have endured since the victims have been held hostage. The families shared their ordeal following the Senate’s call on security agencies to immediately rescue the victims, mostly women, children and the elderly, who were kidnapped on March 3. The insurgents had, in a viral video on Sunday, published on the Facebook page of Borno South Youth Alliance (BOSYA), demanded a N5 billion ransom and issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the payment to be made, with a threat to harm the captives if the deadline failed.
They described the message as a final warning to the Nigerian government and local stakeholders. Manchester City replace Arsenal at the top, Burnley relegation confirmed NIGERIA DAILY: Can New Ministers Fix Nigeria’s Challenges? In a statement on Monday, BOSYA called on President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Governor Babagana Zulum, Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, and other philanthropists to assist in securing the rescue of the victims.
“According to information received during the mediation process led by BOSYA President, Samaila Ibrahim Kaigama, a final warning video was sent after demands were communicated, including a ransom request of N5 billion for the release of the abducted women and children,” the statement said. Following that statement, the Senate, yesterday, demanded urgent intervention. After a motion by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South), the Senate mandated security agencies to accelerate their operations and rescue the victims immediately.
Ndume told his colleagues that the abductors called on Tuesday, issuing a warning that the hostages would be killed if immediate action was not taken. He pleaded with the Senate to intervene by urging the federal government to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release without further delay. Other senators, who contributed to the debate, called on the government to deploy all necessary resources to ensure their safe return.
Families worry over victims’ safety An elder in Ngoshe, Mr John Gwoma, who is also the Chairman of EYN camp in Maiduguri, said his nephew and other relatives were held captive by the terrorists, lamenting that despite the ultimatum given, they could not get credible information about their situation. “We only hear about the insurgents’ demands on social media, we don’t know who is negotiating with them, either the state or the federal government. “I only heard Senator Ali Ndume speaking on the radio, saying the government is making an effort to rescue them.
My prayer is that they should not do anything to risk the lives of our loved ones. “They should negotiate with the insurgents and free our people. We found ourselves in very difficult conditions.
We, who are not captured are struggling to feed and shelter, while thinking about the fate of the kidnapped victims,” he said. Yakubu Bitrus Ngoshe, whose son was kidnapped, said he has not heard from him since the day they took them away. “I narrowly escaped the Boko Haram kidnap.
We were running together with the boy when they (insurgents) started shooting. We got scared and went our separate ways. “I got to know he was captured in the video they released after reaching Pulka.
Since then, I have not heard from him,” he said. Bitrus said all the families affected are in panic over the deadline given by the insurgents, which elapsed on Wednesday. “Therefore, we call on the government to meet their demand to ensure the safe return of our loved ones.
We know the roles being played by the government in other places in the North West. They should please help us,” he said. Aisha Ibrahim said she had not heard from her teenage sister who was among those kidnapped by the terrorists.
“Being that my sister is a teenager, we have all been afraid about her condition since the day they issued the 72-hour ultimatum, because they are always the first victims. They will marry them off and we will never see her again. We are appealing to the government to do everything possible to secure their release before it’s too late,” she said.
Asked if they were contacted by any government officials from the state or federal government, she said, “No, we only get updates from the radio and social media”. ‘Govt, security agents must be cautious’ However, a public analyst, Dr Musa Usman Konduga, described the ransom demand by the terrorists as a very dicey situation that should be treated with caution. He said, “The ransom demand and threat by the insurgents is really an unfortunate development.
The idea of ransom payment is bad. Every Nigerian knows that such payments only strengthen the insurgents. “It gives them resources to replenish their arsenals. Yet it is going to be a difficult decision for the government, given the ultimatum, the circumstances and the large number of h