Some persons who were recently abducted in Taraba State have revealed how they were chained like slaves in captivity.
The victims whose families paid N7 million for their freedom said they were abducted in Dankoli village in Garba Chede area of Bali local government area of Taraba eight days ago.
One of the victims, Musa Dankolo, said the bandits invaded their village at about 12.30am eight days ago.
He said after their abduction, their captors moved them to a hill top located in the Eastern part of Garba -Chede and chained them along with other victims.
Musa stated that among those in captivity were 20 women and about 100 men, who were chained separately.
He said when the bandits were shifting to another base, the victims were made to carry the bandits’ loads.
He said in their eight days in captivity, the bandits moved to three bases all on top of mountains and it was the victims that carried their loads, including food items and assorted drinks.
He revealed that in each base, the bandits erected tents and slept inside while the victims were left outside in chains even when it rained.
District head of Gamfurum, Muhammed Gamfurum, told Daily Trust that the bandits sacked more than fifteen villages and abducted many people including women and children in his domain
He said the bandits hunt for people day and night and whoever they abducted was usually take them to mountain top and negotiate for ransom.
The Monarch stated that the bandits have attempted several times to abduct him and his family, but he was lucky to escape after which he relocated along with his family.
“We have no option than to run away from our towns and villages to safe areas because the bandits are in large numbers each of them carrying two to three AK47 guns,” he said.
A resident of Garba -Chede town, Adamu Sule, said the bandits had surrounded Garba-Chede town.
“Though there is presence of Army and hunters in the town that has not allayed our fears because the soldiers and hunters went into the direction of the bandits but came back without fully engaging the bandits,” he said.
Police spokesman SP Usman Abdullahi, when contacted said there is an ongoing joint operation involving Army, police, hunters and vigilante, to secure the area.