Gumi, who was abducted on June 18, 2026, and released on August 13, 2026, told LEADERSHIP that the captives sometimes went up to two weeks without food, while they slept in the bush under grass, exposed to rain and water.
Gumi recounted how the prolonged lack of food left him and other captives struggling to survive, saying they sometimes spent up to two weeks without eating and were occasionally given only pap in a small takeaway container.
“Sometimes in a week and sometimes we even spend two weeks without anything to eat. They were not giving us food. It was only pap in a takeaway small bottle.We were sleeping in the bush, under the grass, in the rain and in the water on the field.”
He explained that the victims had no proper shelter and slept in the bush under grass, leaving them exposed to rain and water.
According to Gumi, he and three others were abducted from their village when armed men stormed the community with sophisticated weapons.
He explained that the victims were handcuffed and taken on a journey lasting about two days before they reached a camp deep inside the Rijana forest, where he met more than 20 other captives, including men, women and children.
Gumi further disclosed that he was chained by both hands and legs during the captivity, while the captives had no basic sanitary facilities.
He added that they ate and defecated in the same place where they were kept.
“I was asked if I wanted to take tea. I said yes. I did not know that it was beating. When I responded yes, that was why they beat me and injured me,” he said.
Gumi also disclosed that about four male captives died while they were being held, although he noted that no child died during the period he spent in the camp.
“It was very bad experience because we felt terrified. They humiliated us, treated us badly and at some time they pointed guns at us. So there was no freedom and you could not have peace of mind. There was no sleeping,” he narrated.
He also alleged that the abductors wanted affected communities to accept an arrangement that would allow them to operate freely in the areas.
According to him, the demand, as presented to the captives, went beyond a peace arrangement and was perceived by the victims as an attempt to gain control over their communities.
“They want us to agree so that they can take over our communities, our wives and our children. And they can be able to stay and even pass through our community without any interference. And we refused. So that is why they are kidnapping our people. We are reporting them and we are fighting against them,” he said.
He, however, disclosed that he could not establish the exact number of communities that had entered into similar arrangements with the abductors.
