Retired Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga, a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has narrated the harrowing experience he endured while being held captive by bandits for 56 days.
General Tsiga was abducted on February 5, 2025, alongside nine others in his hometown of Tsiga, located in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State. According to Major General Adamu Laka, the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, the victims were held in a remote location in Zamfara State.
Their ordeal came to an end earlier this week after a successful rescue operation carried out by the military and other security agencies. The rescued victims, including General Tsiga, were reunited with their families at the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, during a brief ceremony in Abuja.
Speaking emotionally after his release, Tsiga expressed profound gratitude to the Nigerian government and the security forces for their swift intervention. He urged Nigerians to support security operatives with timely and accurate information to aid in the fight against insecurity.
Recounting his experience, the retired General revealed that the captives were fed only once a week and regularly beaten by their abductors. Most disturbingly, he disclosed that the bandits frequently used them as human shields during aerial surveillance or strikes by military aircraft.
“We lived among snakes and wild animals in the mountains, and every day was a struggle to survive,” he said. “But today, we thank God and the security agencies for rescuing us.”
