From Idibia Gabriel, Kaduna
Mrs. Love Marcus, a young woman from Gidan Waya in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, stood before a gathering of fellow survivors and church leaders in Kaduna on Friday and expressed the pain many victims struggle to put into words.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know,” she lamented.
Mrs. Marcus was kidnapped alongside others when gunmen attacked her community. She was pregnant at the time, while her husband was killed during the raid. As the abductors marched their captives into the bush, she struggled to keep pace and was beaten after falling behind despite her condition.
“I kept struggling until God sustained me to reach their camp,” she said.
While in captivity, the kidnappers demanded a huge ransom. With no access to medical care and barely a month to delivery, she gave birth in the camp.
“Thank God, after the ransom was paid, the baby and the mother came back alive,” she said.
The baby was born on December 22, 2025, and is now about five months old.
Mrs. Marcus is among 149 survivors attending a two-day interactive workshop in Kaduna from May 7 to 8, 2026. The event, held at ECWA Kaduna South DCC Chapel, was organised by the Christian Awareness Initiative of Nigeria (CHAIN) in partnership with Palace Alliance.
The workshop brought together survivors from across Kaduna State’s 23 local government areas, many of whom discovered they had shared the same captivity camps.
Describing life after release, a facilitator explained that Mrs. Marcus continues to battle emotional trauma, especially whenever she looks at her child and remembers her late husband.
“Even when she’s returning home, she’s only going to meet an empty place,” the facilitator said, adding that the church and community have continued to support her.
Other participants also narrated painful experiences.
Mrs. Sim Paul from Kafanchan said she was kidnapped in Zamfara State and held captive for a month, during which she was pressured to convert to Islam.
“I said no, I will never do that,” she said.
According to her, her family paid ₦8 million out of a ₦10 million ransom demand before she regained freedom.
Another group of 13 captives reportedly spent five months in the kidnappers’ camp, while their families paid ₦70 million in ransom and an additional ₦7 million in related charges before securing their release. Two captives were reportedly killed in November 2025.
The workshop featured religious leaders including Rev. Fr. Yakubu Jerry Kaukwai of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan and Rev. Margie Caleb, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State Chapter.
“It has been heartbreaking and traumatising. What our members went through is something better imagined than experienced,” Rev. Caleb said.
She acknowledged government efforts but noted that “we are not yet out of the woods.”
CHAIN Chief Executive Officer, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, said the programme was designed to help survivors heal through biblical counselling while equipping church leaders to support traumatised victims.
“When people are traumatised, they need leaders that can help them get out of their trauma, stand firm and continue their lives,” he said.
Hayab added that many survivors only realised during the workshop that they had been held in the same camps.
“They started telling us stories, and if you hear them, you will know that we still have a lot to do to bring an end to this evil,” he stated.
Former U.S. Army officer and missionary journalist, Antonio Graceffo, who attended the workshop, said Nigeria has the capacity to overcome insecurity if efforts are coordinated effectively with international support.
“These attacks are happening every single day and people are becoming numb to it,” Graceffo said.
“We need to find ways to secure our villages and keep people safe, but at the same time we must not promote hatred because we do not want the situation to escalate.”
He cited examples from Syria and Iraq where local Christian communities legally participated in community security arrangements.
“This all has to be done legally. We don’t want a situation where you’ve got militias and rebel armies,” he added.
Survivors at the workshop appealed to government to urgently tackle insecurity, saying citizens can no longer sleep peacefully or send their children to school without fear.
The workshop concludes on Saturday, while organisers say the testimonies gathered will help shape future advocacy and trauma support programmes for affected communities in Kaduna State.
