Authorities Stonewall Queries as Human Rights Experts Take Receipt of Evidence
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By Mike Odeh James and Luka Binniyat
(Kaduna) In a grueling ordeal reminiscent of history’s darkest chapters, 25 Nigerian Christians were freed April first, after enduring more than three months of captivity at the hands of Fulani militants in Rijana Forest, Chikun County in Kaduna State, Northwestern Nigeria.
The freed victims were released on April 2, 2025, after payment of ransom money demanded by the terrorists.
Truthnigeria reports that their nightmare began in early December 2024, when Fulani Ethnic millita stormed Bandi-Nasarawa village in Kauru county of Kaduna State, killing four people and abducting more than 35 individuals, including a one-week-old baby, a six-year-old girl, and two twelve-year-old girls.
Truthnigeria also reported that the Fulani terrorists took their victims to the notorious Rijana forest south of Kaduna City, where terrorists maintain a sprawling camp hidden by forest canopy.
On February 25, 2025, Truthnigeria exclusively reported the rescue of eight of those kidnapped. The Rescue team was organized by Iowa-based Equipping the Persecuted and Nigeria-based Equipping the Needy Initiative members in Maro, in Kajuru county.
A Modern-Day Concentration Camp in Rijana
The Rijana camp, which has two related camps attached to it, is hidden deep within the forests along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, a belt of forest spreading across Kajuru and Kachia counties in Kaduna State, as well as parts of Niger State. Here, hundreds of Nigerian Christians are held captive under brutal conditions reminiscent of World War II concentration camps.
One of the recently freed survivors, Esther Moses, recounted the horrors they endured. She revealed that two of her family members were executed in the camp by the terrorists, while another one succumbed to starvation.
“We eat once in two weeks or when the Fulani terrorists desire. Other days we scavenge for food, either left over by the Fulanis which are usually rotten rice mixed with dirt and maggots.
‘In order to keep ourselves alive, we cut mango leaves and grasses and then ate them raw so that we could survive,” she added.
“Three persons died after eating grasses for several days. They starting purging and vomiting. Two died in January, while the other died in early February,” Moses said.
“They were deliberately starving us to death,” she added.
David Maza, a 25-year-old father of two, who emerged on April 2nd in an emaciated frame, told rescuers: “When food was withheld for too long, we resorted to eating mango leaves and tender grasses, chewing and swallowing them raw. Many victims died from malnutrition or from eating these inedible plants. Their bodies were simply discarded or thrown into the river.”
Moses, who was kidnapped alongside her two-week-old daughter from Bandi, said the terrorists murdered two of her cousins with headshots.
“One day, one the terrorist commanders stepped into our camp, and asked for our family. He then shot two young boys, because he said their guardians were procrastinating over ransom demands,” Moses said.
“The Fulanis terrorists would flog the prisoners on their backs till it drew blood,” according to hostage Deborah James.
“They will come in the morning with their phones and them, call our relatives and then start flogging us till we screamed and begged to the hearing of our relatives,” James said to TruthNigeria.
“They used horsewhips, batons and sticks to beat us every day. For the men they used gun butts to hit them on their legs,” James said.
The terrorists would kill hostages on an average of two per week, according to James. “Many more died of diseases every day,” she added.
Hostage Prayers May have Moved the Hearts of the Terrorists
Two women, Esther and Mary, shared how their prayers seemed to alter the bandits’ behavior.
“In the beginning, when we gathered to pray, the Fulani terrorists mocked us,” Esther recalled. “They called us ‘arnas’—unbelievers—and ridiculed us, saying, ‘Pray all you want, your God won’t save you.’
But over time, the attitude of the captors shifted. “By January, they started waiting for us to finish praying. Some even remained quiet while we prayed. The power of our faith gave us the courage to believe we would survive.”
Mary Musa added, “Initially, they threatened to kill us, but as we persisted in prayer, their hostility softened. Eventually, they even allowed our husbands and sons to be unchained.”
Inside the Terror of Rijana Camp
According to survivor Esther Moses, the camp is nestled among towering trees and tall grasses, flanking the winding Kaduna River, all of which act as cover for the steady intake of new captives.
“Rijana is not just one camp—it’s a network of sub-camps,” Musa said. “I counted at least four separate mini camps , divided by tree logs. Though we couldn’t see the other prisoners, we could hear their cries and wails.”
She described the staggering number of hostages.
“When we arrived in December 2024, our section alone held more than 200 captives. Over the next month, at least 20 more were brought in.
“By the time we were released in April, we left behind more than 90 others still trapped in those nightmarish conditions.”
In my estimation, each camp, including mine, held about 200 victims which means , there are roughly 800 kidnapped persons in Rijana, however, each day, victims whose relatives pay, are released and new hostages are added.
Executions on Command
Musa Radda, one of the survivors, shared with TruthNigeria the terrifying moments he witnessed.
“The Rijana camp is controlled by a dreaded man called ‘Yellow One Million,’ who appeared to be the boss of bosses, according to surviving hostage Musa Radda.
“One of his commanders is another bloodthirsty man called ‘Yellow Dan Musa.’ Between Yellow One Million and Yellow Dan Musa, more than 10 persons were killed by them and dumped into the river,” said Radda.
“One day I saw Yellow Dan Musa kill more than six people right after speaking with their families over the phone,” Musa said.
“Without hesitation, he ordered his men—some of whom were teenagers, to throw the lifeless bodies into the river.”
In an emotional interview with TruthNigeria, Simon Nuhu, the man who spearheaded efforts to secure the release of 25 kidnap victims, disclosed staggering details about the financial and emotional toll of the crisis. Nuhu, who sold assets and rallied donations from churches, recounted how he negotiated with abductors to free his family and fellow community members.
Family Ransom: N50M for 11 Loved Ones
Nuhu explained that his own family bore the brunt of the tragedy, with 11 relatives abducted. “We paid an initial N40 million [$26,000] to secure eight family members,” he told TruthNigeria, he said in a gasping his voice. “But the bandits demanded four motorcycles, worth nearly N10 million [$6,500], before freeing the remaining three. In total, we spent N50 million [$32,500] just to save my family.”
Community Ransom: N31M for 15 Neighbors
The nightmare extended beyond his kin. Nuhu explained how 15 other community members were held hostage, with their families scrambling to raise N31 million for their release. “No one was left untouched. We pooled resources, sold land, and begged for help,” he said.
Total Cost: N81M, Four Lives Lost
By the time the ordeal ended, N81 million had been paid in ransoms. Tragically, four hostages died in captivity. “We couldn’t save everyone,” Nuhu told TruthNigeria “The bandits showed no mercy.
Urgent Plea: Medical Care for Survivors
Now, the freed victims are hospitalized, battling physical and psychological scars. “Medical treatment is their most critical need,” Nuhu said with emphasis. “Without it, recovery is impossible. We’ve exhausted everything – we need support now.”
