Hot SourceLinus Aleke in Abuja
The former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd), yesterday said that bandits were using victims of abduction, including himself, as human shields whenever there were military airstrikes.
He also revealed that the bandits kept them in a mountain where they cohabited with snakes and scorpions.
Speaking during the handover of 19 rescued victims of abduction to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA) in Abuja yesterday, General Tsiga said that they were given only tuwo dawa and salt once a day and were beaten consistently.
The former NYSC DG, who was abducted from his hometown in the Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State on February 5, 2025, narrated his harrowing experience to the press, stressing that the bandits had no fear of God.
He added that the only thing they are after is money, and what they fear most is military airstrikes.
According to him, “A day before I left there, that is, the day before yesterday, on the mountain I was staying, unexpectedly, we just looked around and saw hyenas parading around us to get their own food. And what kind of food? We, human beings. Those of us who experienced that place always stayed with snakes and scorpions.
“And one bad experience, particularly for those of us whom they knew held a rank, was that whenever they were being attacked, they would bring us out, so that the aircraft could hit us. But, you know, God is merciful. The NSA, the CDS, and others have said it: the good ones will continue to live”.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, regretted that bad things also happen to good people, adding that that is how life is.
He, however, assured the people that evil will not be allowed to prevail. According to him, “We thank God for their lives. We are grateful to those who made their rescue possible. We will go after the bad ones. This is not the end of the story. These people have been rescued, but those perpetrators will pay dearly for their actions.”
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, said that they celebrate those of them who were successfully rescued.
He assured Nigerians that the military and other security agencies will not rest until every Nigerian is free.
General Musa also warned that those who do not wish the country well will not be allowed to rest either.
“We will go after them wherever they are, and we can see that we are getting results. In one year and ten months, Nigeria is getting better. It’s not going to be automatic. There’s still work to be done,” he stressed.
The National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), Major General Adamu Laka, noted that the victims were rescued from kidnappers in various locations.
“So, we have among them a notable figure, Ambassador Gideon Yohana, who was kidnapped on 22 January 2025 at Dussein Bako Village in Zangon Kataf Local Government of Katuna State. Others were rescued from Maga Gadaci village in the local government. Among those present today is one of our own, General Tsiga, the former DG of NYSC. After receiving medical attention from our clinics, they are ready to be reunited with their families and communities,” he said.
