One of the women freed by soldiers
from Boko Haram’s captivity, Meriam, 36, has narrated how Boko Haram terrorists
trained and prepared girls and women for suicide missions.
from Boko Haram’s captivity, Meriam, 36, has narrated how Boko Haram terrorists
trained and prepared girls and women for suicide missions.
In a revealing interview with the
New York Times, Meriam, who had just arrived at one of the internally displaced
persons’ camp in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital from Gwoza, narrated
how she was imprisoned with dozens of other women including some who were being
trained as suicide bombers.
New York Times, Meriam, who had just arrived at one of the internally displaced
persons’ camp in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital from Gwoza, narrated
how she was imprisoned with dozens of other women including some who were being
trained as suicide bombers.
According to her, the suicide bomber
after being brainwashed, will be assured of Allah’s forgiveness after death.
after being brainwashed, will be assured of Allah’s forgiveness after death.
“The Boko Haram would recite the prayer for the dead,”
Meriam said. “Then they would
put on the hijab,” covering the suicide belt.
Meriam said. “Then they would
put on the hijab,” covering the suicide belt.
After they had prepared,
“They said, ‘God will forgive us,’” she said. “Then, they
would enter the vehicles, and they would send the women away.”
would enter the vehicles, and they would send the women away.”
Meriam said she had seen a few of
the Chibok village girls at the hospital in Gwoza, and said that the Boko Haram
appeared to give them a special status.
the Chibok village girls at the hospital in Gwoza, and said that the Boko Haram
appeared to give them a special status.
According to the New York Times,
hundreds of women and girls captured by Boko Haram had been raped, many
repeatedly, in what officials and relief workers described as a deliberate
strategy to dominate rural residents and possibly even create a new generation
of Islamist militants in the country
hundreds of women and girls captured by Boko Haram had been raped, many
repeatedly, in what officials and relief workers described as a deliberate
strategy to dominate rural residents and possibly even create a new generation
of Islamist militants in the country
In interviews, the women described
being locked in houses by the dozen, at the beck and call of fighters who
forced them to have sex, sometimes with the specific goal of impregnating them.
being locked in houses by the dozen, at the beck and call of fighters who
forced them to have sex, sometimes with the specific goal of impregnating them.
“They married me,” said Hamsatu, 25,
a young woman in a black-and-purple head scarf, looking down at the ground. She
said she was four months pregnant, that the father was a Boko Haram member and
that she had been forced to have sex with other militants who took control of
her town.
a young woman in a black-and-purple head scarf, looking down at the ground. She
said she was four months pregnant, that the father was a Boko Haram member and
that she had been forced to have sex with other militants who took control of
her town.
“They chose the ones they wanted to marry,” added Hamsatu,
whose full name was not used to protect her identity. “If anybody shouts, they
said they would shoot them.”
whose full name was not used to protect her identity. “If anybody shouts, they
said they would shoot them.”
Yahauwa, 30, used her green head
scarf to wipe away tears as she clutched a plastic bag full of medicine. She
had just tested positive for H.I.V.
scarf to wipe away tears as she clutched a plastic bag full of medicine. She
had just tested positive for H.I.V.
“Is it from the people who forced me to have affairs with
them?” she asked a relief worker, tears streaming down her face.
them?” she asked a relief worker, tears streaming down her face.
Later, she explained that she and
many other women had been “locked in one big room.”
many other women had been “locked in one big room.”
“When they came, they would select the one they wanted to
sleep with,” she said. “They said, ‘If you do not marry us, we will slaughter
you.’ ”
sleep with,” she said. “They said, ‘If you do not marry us, we will slaughter
you.’ ”
As the women spoke, two trucks
crammed with more people arrived at the rudimentary camp guarded by watchful
soldiers. Even the local news media are kept out.
crammed with more people arrived at the rudimentary camp guarded by watchful
soldiers. Even the local news media are kept out.
Many of the residents of the camp
spend the day outside in blazing 100-degree-plus heat here. They dare not
return home.
spend the day outside in blazing 100-degree-plus heat here. They dare not
return home.
The humiliation of what the refugees
have been through led many of the women interviewed at the camp to deny being
abused by the militants. But relief workers here said that when they arrived,
many acknowledged that they had been raped.
have been through led many of the women interviewed at the camp to deny being
abused by the militants. But relief workers here said that when they arrived,
many acknowledged that they had been raped.
Yana, a young woman wearing
sparkling golden bangles, said the fighters had “parked” her – a word many
women have used to describe their imprisonment – with about 50 other women in a
house in Bama, Borno State’s second city, with a population of several hundred
thousand. Bama was occupied by Boko Haram last September.
sparkling golden bangles, said the fighters had “parked” her – a word many
women have used to describe their imprisonment – with about 50 other women in a
house in Bama, Borno State’s second city, with a population of several hundred
thousand. Bama was occupied by Boko Haram last September.
Inside the house,
“If they want to have an affair with a woman, they will just
take her to a private place, so that the others won’t see,” said Yana in a
singsong voice. She could not recall her age; a relief worker at the camp here
said she had been raped so often by Boko Haram that she was “psychologically
affected.”
take her to a private place, so that the others won’t see,” said Yana in a
singsong voice. She could not recall her age; a relief worker at the camp here
said she had been raped so often by Boko Haram that she was “psychologically
affected.”
Yana said the militants had forced
her to have sex with them.
her to have sex with them.
Her feet and stomach were swollen
and the relief worker said she was likely pregnant, though her test results had
not come back yet. Others workers here said many of the women had signs of
physical and psychological trauma from being raped repeatedly.
and the relief worker said she was likely pregnant, though her test results had
not come back yet. Others workers here said many of the women had signs of
physical and psychological trauma from being raped repeatedly.
Fanna, a delicate 12-year-old who
had arrived at the camp here three days before, crouched on the floor, clasping
her knees, and insisted in her thin child’s voice that Boko Haram had not
touched her.
had arrived at the camp here three days before, crouched on the floor, clasping
her knees, and insisted in her thin child’s voice that Boko Haram had not
touched her.
“The sect leaders make a very conscious effort to impregnate
the women,” said the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima. “Some of them, I
was told, even pray before mating, offering supplications for God to make the
products of what they are doing become children that will inherit their
ideology.”
the women,” said the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima. “Some of them, I
was told, even pray before mating, offering supplications for God to make the
products of what they are doing become children that will inherit their
ideology.”
“It’s like they wanted to have their own siblings, to take
over from them,” added Abba Mohammed Bashir Shuwa, a senior state official in
Maiduguri.
over from them,” added Abba Mohammed Bashir Shuwa, a senior state official in
Maiduguri.
A relief official at the camp who is
working closely with the abused women echoed that thought.
working closely with the abused women echoed that thought.
“We are going to have another set of Boko Haram,” said the
official, Hadiza Waziri. “Most of these women now, they don’t want these
pregnancies. You cannot love the child.”
official, Hadiza Waziri. “Most of these women now, they don’t want these
pregnancies. You cannot love the child.”
The militants have openly promised
to treat women as chattel. After Boko Haram militants kidnapped nearly 300
schoolgirls from Chibok last year, the group’s leader called them slaves and
threatened to “sell them in the market.”
to treat women as chattel. After Boko Haram militants kidnapped nearly 300
schoolgirls from Chibok last year, the group’s leader called them slaves and
threatened to “sell them in the market.”