AT least seven victims abducted from communities in Kaduna State have died in captivity as 37 kidnapped residents from Ariko village and 11 others from Awon village in Kachia Local Government Area enter their 110th and 95th days in the hands of their captors, according to a recently freed victim.
A photograph released by the kidnappers six days after the Ariko abduction shows the 37 victims, with one man—indicated by a green arrow—confirmed dead by the freed individual.
The source also revealed that approximately seven victims have died since their capture: two men, two women, and three children.
Instead of being buried, the bodies are simply dragged to a slope and discarded, the freed person said.
The child of a woman who gave birth in the camp has also died, the source added. The infant survived for almost three weeks after birth, during which time a fellow captive had to use her teeth to cut the umbilical cord because no sharp object was available.
The 11 individuals kidnapped from Awon village in the same Kachia LGA are now being held in the same camp as the Ariko victims. A woman from Awon village who was pregnant at the time of her abduction on April 20 gave birth in the camp two weeks ago, but the child died the following day.
According to the freed victims, they sleep in the open with no protection from rain, sun, cold or any elements. Rain falls on them, forcing them to sleep on wet ground, and most of the remaining children are sick.
The Ariko victims have now spent 110 days in captivity, while the 11 Awon victims have endured 95 days. Families and community members continue to appeal to the Federal and state governments to intensify efforts to secure the release of their loved ones.
