Adamawa State, Nigeria - The night they came for Daniel Musa*, the dogs were barking. At about 11:30 pm on May 23, 2023, Musa looked out of a window overlooking the gate of his home in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria. The intruders wore all black, like the night.
Their faces were uncovered. Musa, 49, usually left his dogs loose in the compound at night. But the men who had climbed over the fence drove them back into their cage and locked it, clearing a path to the house.
Then they broke the padlock on a smaller gate and moved towards the main door. There, they began trying to force it open with a digger. Musa, a local pastor, knew they were coming in.
Rather than wait for them to break down the door, he opened it himself; he didn’t want any trouble. He had already told his wife and his then 13-year-old daughter to stay in their bedroom. The men entered his home, pointed a gun at him, and ordered him to sit on the floor.
One went into his bedroom and took money and phones. Another walked to the fridge and helped himself to bread, milk, and water. Then, at gunpoint, they led Musa out of his home; he did not struggle.
He feared that if they did not take him, they might take his wife or daughter instead. For six hours, Musa walked blindfolded with his captors through bushland, crossing shallow streams until they reached the mountains. There, he heard the familiar voice of his neighbour and discovered he had also been abducted.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
