Nigerian Captives Released After Months

By: Peri Newman ‘24
    In Northwest Nigeria, nearly 100 hostages, mostly women and children, were released after months of captivity following Zamfara government negotiations with the abductors. Of the people that were released, twenty of them were babies and around a dozen of them were children. Furthermore, around half of the released women were pregnant. 

The fatigued ex-captives, mostly barefoot and in worn-out clothes, staggered out of buses that took them to Gusau, capital of the Zamfara state. 
    Sophomore Maya Taylor-Prince commented, “I couldn’t begin to imagine how difficult it was for them to finally get out. Must’ve been like a breath of fresh air to finally get out of where they were. I am glad that they are finally free and that the people who were keeping them there made the right decision to let them go.” 
Since the release, Zamfara's Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, has said that the rescue operation was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of the state government and security agencies. Intelligence given between all parties helped lead to the release and rescue of the hostages.
Zamafara’s state government and security agencies wanted to avoid paying a ransom demand at all cost even if it meant extending the hostages’ captivity.
Aside from a ransom, the abductors also asked that no actions be taken against them for the kidnapping of nearly 100 people. 
    Police say Ado Aleru was one of the masterminds behind the kidnapping scheme, alongside a man named Bello Turji. Turgi and Aleru have been linked to several kidnappings in the region since Zamfara has been under control for months by a gang of armed gunmen, locally known as “bandits,” who have terrorized the region and its people using their military fear tactics. 
    For example, The criminals had planned to target schools in order to kidnap students and extort money from their parents.
Not only have these men kidnapped many, they have killed thousands. Sources from CNN were told that the kidnappers had to abandon their captives following extreme pressure from the government. The group of assailants were mostly young men from the Fulani ethnic group. 
Sophomore Mimi Lebeau stated, “It breaks my heart to hear of the suffering the victims of the kidnapping endured and the horrible conditions they were forced to live in.” 
    In the past couple of years, Nigeria’s air force has attacked the bandits’ camps, despite many officials’ efforts to negotiate. However, military deployment and attempted peace offerings have failed to end the years of violence. 
    According to the United Nations, armed groups have forced nearly 2.4 million people from Nigeria and neighboring countries to flee as their homes were no longer safe for them, leaving the millions of remaining families fearing for their lives. 
    As the situation progresses and the government bears down on these armed bandits, there is hope that the violence in Nigeria will soon be over.