Ex-NYSC DG, Tsiga, recounts hellish experience in kidnappers’ den

Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd), the former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has shared the harrowing details of his ordeal at the hands of terrorists and kidnappers.

Tsiga disclosed that he and other hostages were confined in a thick forest surrounded by hills, filled with perilous wildlife. He described his survival as nothing short of divine intervention.

The 72-year-old said: “We were kept with dangerous animals—hyenas, snakes, and scorpions. A day before I was released, just the day before yesterday, while on the mountain where I was staying, we suddenly noticed a hyena circling us, looking for food. And what kind of food? Us, human beings.”

“Throughout our time there, we constantly lived with snakes and scorpions. But the most terrifying experience was how they treated those of us whose ranks they knew. Whenever troops attacked them, they would bring us out and use us as human shields, hoping to get us killed by the military strikes. They wanted us to be hit by the aircraft. But God is merciful.”

“The National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) have said it—the good ones will survive, and ultimately, the bad ones will meet their end.”

Tsiga further recounted a particularly chilling episode involving an unexploded rocket: “During an airstrike, a rocket was fired at the terrorists, but it didn’t explode. Instead, they carried the unexploded rocket and placed it where I was sleeping, hiding it in a way that if I touched it, it would detonate. Yet, by God’s mercy, I survived.”

He also explained that the kidnappers believed military officers had access to government funds, which led them to target his home.

“They believe that those of us in uniform are given money by the government. That’s why they tried to break into my house. They couldn’t, so they went to my home in Kaduna and used explosives to destroy it, including the gates.”

Speaking on behalf of the 18 other rescued victims, Tsiga expressed his gratitude to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Chief of Defence Staff. He stressed that security is a collective responsibility.

“We must not assume that the government can do it all alone. Everyone must contribute by providing intelligence and information. The NSA and the CDS are not magicians; they need timely and accurate reports to act upon.”