Rescued Nine-year-old Embarks On Hunger Strike, Insists On Reuniting With Boko Haram Husband

SAN FRANCISCO, May 07, (THEWILL) – A nine-year-old girl (name withheld), who was among the 65 young girls rescued by the Nigerian army from Sambisa forest, has starved herself for the past three days to press home her demand to be returned to the forest to reunite with her Boko Haram husband.

This came to the fore on Friday when the Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima visited the headquarters of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Maimalari Cantonment to officially receive the Boko Haram hostages from the General Officer Commanding, GOC, Major General Victor Ezegwu.

Briefing Shettima at the Youth centre in Maimalari Cantonment, venue of the official handing over of the hostages to the Borno State Government, the GOC said the ongoing Operation crackdown in Sambisa forest which commenced about a week ago was recording successes.

He claimed that many of the insurgents have been killed by troops with the recovery of chunks of arms and ammunitions at Balaza, Walasa, Banki and other surrounding villages.

Ezegwu maintained that during the crackdown, over 300 persons held by the insurgents in Dikwa, Gamboru, Ngala, Kala Balge axis have been rescued and handed over to their families in Dikwa resettlement camp, while 300 cattle rustled by the sect have been returned to their real owners.

The GOC, who commended the Governor and his government for their support towards complementing effort of the military in the fight against insurgents, assured that the Nigerian Army will not rest on its oars, until Boko Haram elements are dislodged from their hideouts.

In his response, Shettima lauded the military and other security agencies for storming the heart of Sambisa Forest, which according to him will see to the end of the insurgents deadly activities in the north east.

He promised that his government will do everything possible with the scarce resources at his disposal to support military in order to put an end the Boko Haram madness in the state.

While congratulating the rescued hostages Shettima promised that the state government will keep them in a safer place to enable them undergo proper counselling and traumatic training before they reunite with their families.

He added that the two Cameroonians who were freed alongside other Borno citizens will be taken back and handed over to the Cameroonian government.

Vanguard gathered that the minor embarked on hunger strike, insisting that she wanted to go back to Sambisa and stay with her husband who is a Boko Haram terrorist. Twelve other rescued girls were also discovered to be pregnant while others have already given birth.

The newspaper observed that most of the rescued hostages comprising 27 children and over 30 young girls with few women including two Cameroonians have been indoctrinated by the sect as many of them claimed they have been with the sect for the past three years, and were willing to go back to Sambisa to meet their husbands.