Military Evacuates Rescued Girls, Women

8 years ago

Military Evacuates Rescued Girls, Women

The military yesterday evacuated the 293 women and girls rescued from Boko Haram camps in Sambisa Forest to the hilly border town of Gwoza, as it seeks clues to the whereabouts of the Chibok schoolgirls whose abduction last year provoked international outrage.

The 200 girls and 93 women were freed from four camps during an army operation in the forest, believed to be Boko Haram’s final stronghold.

The military said on Tuesday that initial enquiries suggested the freed women did not include the 219 Chibok girls.

A military spokesman said the rescued girls would be transported for final checks in Abuja or Maiduguri.

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“We will take them to Abuja or Maiduguri for further investigation to determine whether Chibok girls were among them and where they come from,” military spokesman Colonel Sani Usman told Reuters.

Colonel Usman said many of them were traumatized. The military is flying in medical and intelligence teams to examine them, he added.
On Tuesday night, he had indicated that none of the 219 Chibok girls were among the rescued females. But yesterday he said he was not categorically saying none of the Chibok girls was among the rescued females and that they still needed to be questioned to determine their identities.

“Most of them are traumatised and you have got to put them in a psychological frame of mind to extract information from them,” Col. Usman said.

Women abducted by the group have been forced into sexual slavery or combat, Amnesty International said in a report to mark the anniversary of the Chibok kidnapping.

For parents of the missing Chibok girls, news of the liberation of hundreds of women fired hopes of seeing their daughters alive.

“Since I heard the news it’s like I’m in heaven,” said Esther Yakub, whose daughter Dorcas was kidnapped. “I’ve never doubted the possibility of getting her back despite the news that has been flying around about all manner of dangers that could have befallen them.”

“I’m just waiting for the moment when they hand her over into my arms.”

Amnesty International described the ‘rescue’ of the women as an encouraging development but only a small step in securing the safety of the thousands of women and girls abducted by the armed group since 2014..

The organization urged the authorities to ensure that the trauma of those ‘rescued’ is not exacerbated by lengthy security screening in detention.

“This development is just cause for celebration and undoubtedly an immense relief to the women, girls and their families. But this is just the tip of the iceberg; there are thousands more women and girls, and men and boys who have been abducted by Boko Haram,” said Netsanet Belay, Africa Director, Research and Advocacy.

According to a recent Amnesty International report, more than 2,000 women and girls have been abducted by Boko Haram. Drawing from interviews with those who escaped, the report reveals how civilians were executed, tortured, raped and forced into marriage in camps and towns controlled by Boko Haram.

In previous cases where women and girls have escaped from Boko Haram they have been detained for weeks on end for security screening. Amnesty International is calling on the authorities to ensure that their physical and psychological well-being is paramount.

“The trauma suffered by the women and girls is truly horrific. Some have been repeatedly raped, sold into sexual slavery or indoctrinated and even forced to fight for Boko Haram,” said Netsanet Belay.

“What they need now is medical and psychological care and support and privacy. The government must now ensure that it doesn’t add to their suffering with lengthy detention and security screening which can only add to their suffering and plight,” he added.