A young widow from Plateau State, whose husband was brutally murdered by bandits, has issued a desperate cry for help after receiving repeated death threats demanding she marry the leader of the very group that killed her spouse.
The woman, identified only as Nanbam, told the international non-governmental organization Equipping The Persecuted that the nightmare began the same day her husband was slain. Bandits who had invaded their village in Mushere, Bokkos Local Government Area, in August used his phone to call her.
"They used his number to call me to say that their leader wants to marry me," Nanbam recounted, her voice trembling. "I was shocked... I thought they were joking and I told them that over my dead body will I marry someone who killed my husband and the father of my children".
Her refusal has come at a terrifying price. Since that day, she says she receives calls "almost every day" from the assailants, who threaten to kill her and her three children if she does not accept the marriage proposal and convert to Islam. In a futile attempt to escape, she relocated to her hometown in Mangu, but the calls followed her.
"They Cut Open His Body and Removed His Heart"
Nanbam's story is anchored in a massacre of unspeakable cruelty. She is a widow of one of **40 people killed** when bandits surrounded and attacked her village in August. She described the murder of her husband in harrowing detail.
"In my husband's case, they cut open his body and removed his heart before throwing him into a pond," she said.
The violence did not end with the murders. After fleeing to Mangu, Nanbam received a call last week from a man who said they knew her new location. He warned that if she continued to refuse, they would come to the village to kill not only her and her children, but other family members as well.
"Right now, my life is in danger and I don't know where to run to where they will not trace me," she pleaded.
A Plea for Help Met with Apathy
Feeling utterly trapped, Nanbam turned to the police for protection, but found little solace. She reported the threats to authorities, who she said told her there was nothing they could do because the callers used untraceable numbers. She further alleged that the police asked her for money to fund the tracking of the numbers, a request she could not fulfill.
"Since I told them I didn't have money, they lost interest in the case," Nanbam said. "I don't know what to do now or where to turn to".
A Pattern of Violence and Desperation on the Plateau
Nanbam's ordeal is not an isolated incident but part of a devastating pattern of violence terrorizing Plateau State. In recent weeks, attacks have continued unabated:
* December 2025: Bandits invaded the Mwar community in Mangu LGA, killing three people, injuring two, and rustling cattle. Survivors of this attack have also cried out that the bandits have taken over their farms, preventing them from harvesting crops and leaving them hungry.
* November 2025: Another young widow from the Dorowa community in Barkin Ladi alleged that soldiers "connived with bandits" during an attack that killed her husband. She described attackers numbering in the hundreds, dressed in black and chanting "Jihad" as they destroyed the village.
* March-April 2025: A series of brutal attacks in Bokkos LGA prompted a major security response. In April, the Inspector-General of Police ordered the immediate deployment of tactical squads, drones, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters to the area in an attempt to curb the violence.
These relentless attacks have created a humanitarian crisis, leaving countless families like Nanbam's shattered, displaced, and living in constant fear. Her story is a stark testament to the terror faced by survivors who are left to mourn, protect their children, and live under the shadow of ongoing threats from their attackers.
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