Lilian Daniel, a student of the University of Maiduguri in Borno State was kidnapped by Boko Haram jihadists on January 9, 2020, when she was travelling back to school from Jos, Plateau State.
Since then, her mother, Priscilla Kua heard nothing from her except for a teary letter she sent from captivity.
Priscilla who featured in HumAngle’s Vestiges of Violence, a weekly podcast that documents the ordeal of victims of insurgency, said she had wandered from one place to another looking for people who regained freedom from Boko Haram captivity. But her searches had not yielded a positive result.
All Priscilla wanted to know is whether her daughter is still alive.
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According to her, one day as she was in her Church, she was told that a woman named Deborah is looking for her and that she had a message that require her attention.
Deborah, a medical worker who also hails from Plateau State told Priscilla that she was held captive in the same place with her daughter and she had sent her a letter. She added that they came to know each other while in captivity and they both exchanged letters meant for their families should in case one regain freedom before the other.
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Not knowing whether it was her daughter or something else, Priscilla opened the self-enveloped paper and behold, it was Lilian’s handwriting addressed to her.
THE LETTER
“Dear beloved family. How are you all doing? Hope all of you are doing good. I am writing this letter with so much tears in my eyes and so much pain in my heart. I was captured on 9th January 2020 on my way to Maiduguri. I went a lot in the hands of Boko Haram but still thanking God that I am alive. It wasn’t easy for me without you all. They took us and we are working as slaves to them. They do whatever they want to do with us including having sex with us just the way they want.
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“I know you all tried your best to see me out of here and I am appreciating all for your efforts, God bless you all for me. I need you all to continue to pray for me because I seriously need your prayers and support. Please, don’t get tired, I believed God will surely see us through in Jesus’ name (Amen). Oh! Sweet mummy, I find it difficult to get you out of my mind. I so much missed you but I believed we will meet one day and I believed it is going to be soon, just continue to put a smile, be strong please for me and don’t forget you are my sweet mum (Joy Lady). You are always in my thoughts, I Also missed you. You must be strong. I am writing this letter to let you know that I am alive. My regards to the church and the family.”
With so much hope of seeing her daughter again, Priscilla laminated the letter as she continues to look forward to her daughter’s freedom from the terrorists.
