Voices from the Bloodlands:
Survivor Testimonies from Sankera
The Unspoken Trauma
These testimonies reveal three painful truths about Sankera:
1. No One is Safe – Farmers, children, even police are targets.
2. No Justice – Killers roam free while victims suffer silently.
3. No End in Sight – With gangs recruiting more children every day.
What Can Be Done???
– Psychological Support: Trauma counselling for survivors.
– Justice Fund: Legal aid to pursue cases against killers.
– Youth Programs: Jobs to stop gang recruitment.
Sankera’s people are crying. Will anyone listen?
“They Killed My Husband in Front of Me” – Mama Esther, Logo LGA
(Fulani Militia Attack, Tse-Adoor, February 2024)
“They came at night. We heard gunshots, then screaming. My husband told me to hide under the bed with our baby. But they broke in… they dragged him outside. I heard him beg, then a gunshot. When I peeked, his head was gone. They took our son too—just 12 years old. No ransom call… nothing. I sit here every day, waiting for a miracle.”
Aftermath: Esther now lives in a Makurdi IDP camp. Her husband’s body was never found.
“I Was a Chain Gang Member – Here’s How I Escaped” – Daniel (Name Changed), Ukum LGA (Former Child Soldier, Now in Hiding)
“I joined at 15. They promised me money, respect. My first job? Kidnap a teacher. When he cried, they slit his throat. I vomited, but they laughed. Later, I saw them burn a whole family—children inside. I ran during a military raid. Now, both the gangs and soldiers want me dead.”*
Aftermath: Daniel is in a rehabilitation program but fears retaliation.
“They Burnt My Daughter Alive” – Pa Ashiemar, Katsina-Ala LGA, (Gang War Attack, April 2024)
*”The Full Fire boys said we supported Chain Gang. They poured petrol on my daughter’s shop… she was inside. I heard her scream until she stopped. The police came three days later—just to write a report. No arrests. Nothing.”*
Aftermath: Pa Ashiemar now sleeps in a church for safety.
“The Day Soldiers Killed My Innocent Son” – Mrs. Iveren, Gbajir Village, (Military Raid Mistake, 2023)
They said they were hunting militants. My boy was fetching water when they shot him. ‘Mistaken identity,’ they said. No apology. No compensation. Just a body in a bag.”
Aftermath: The family received no justice. The soldiers remain deployed in Sankera.
“I Was a Sex Slave for 6 Months” – Blessing (Abducted in Logo, 2023) (Kidnapped by Black Axe Cult)
“They took me from my farm. Six men… every night. If I cried, they whipped me. One finally helped me escape. But my family called me a ‘spoiled woman’ and chased me away. Now I sell pepper by the road. At night, I still hear their voices.”
Aftermath: Blessing lives with a local NGO but suffers severe PTSD.
“My Father Was a Policeman – They Skinned Him Alive” – Terseer, Ukum Town (Retaliation Killing, 2024)
