How Boko Haram militants raped us, slaughter many others – Escaped victims narrate ordeal

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by Akan Ido

The Boko Haram insurgents continue their reign of terror in the northeast  part of Nigeria and only few who have had encounters with them lived to tell their ordeal.

Will Ross of BBC Nigeria met with some survivors  who gave heart breaking accounts of their ordeal in the hands of the suspected members of the Boko Haram sect and how they managed to escape.

Two ladies residing in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria identified themselves as Liatu, aged 23, and Janet 19  spoke in their interview with the BBC Hausa service on Monday narrating how they managed to escape.

Liatu said she spent 12 days in captivity in Sambisa forest before she escaped.

According to her, she was abducted on her way to the village from Maiduguri, the suspected terrorists had created a road block just near the Bama bridge, killed some people and went away with others into the bushes.

Liatu, a Christian by religion was ordered to accept Islam  by the Boko Haram members, and watched in full glare while they slaughtered about 50 people before she made an extremely risky escape.

She said “One of the captives stood up and said, ‘You only die once. Who is ready to make a run for it?’ Six of us jumped into one of the Boko Haram vehicles in the camp – a Volkswagen Golf.

“They chased us on motorbikes, shooting at the car until we got close to Bama town. Then they left and we got out of the car to continue on foot as there was a curfew in place. It was only then that I realised the three people on the backseat had all been shot dead.”

Janet’s ordeal was a little different as she was a captive for three months, where she also witnessed the slaughtering of some people, repeatedly raped and was forced to join Islam.

“They went to Gwoza and brought five people to the camp. They started slaughtering them in front of me,” said Janet, who  was in  the insurgents’ den for three months.

She said at that point, she was ordered by the insurgents to slit the throats of one the captured people but she refused.

“Then they ordered me to slit one of their throats. I refused. I told them I couldn’t do it. Then the wife of the leader of the group killed him instead.” Janet said.

Janet said, “I knew almost all the people in the group I was with. I knew them from my home area.

“I was really angry and when I couldn’t keep quiet any longer, I said to one of them, ‘When we were at home you would even visit me and I respected you. So why are you doing this to me?”

Till date, she explained, she had continued to be frightened by the nightmare and the gory details of what transpired when the victims were killed.

Janet was able to escape after feigning illness and was allowed to seek for medical attention.

“I feigned illness for two weeks, they said I had AIDS and should be taken to their hospital for test, I told them it was stomach pain, that was how I escaped.”

“The Boko Haram hide in caves and mountains, they sight jets and other aircrafts, I felt happy whenever I see soldiers, but they could not locate the Boko Haram who are mostly along the Liman Kara and Gwoza axis.”

“They took many of us into the bush, if they search and found ID cards, they will say they had warned that people should not work for the government, and they will kill the person.”

“For those Konduga girls, they will select those who perm their hair and kill them.”

Meanwhile, the BBC Hausa service reported that a video that was released on Monday, had Boko Haram leader, Shekau, claiming responsibility of the attack on Giwa, a Barracks in Maiduguri where they released some of their members.

Comments (5)

  1. Please I'm very sorry there was a mistake or typing error in my previous comment. The lady said that it doesn't occur to them whether u re a Muslim or not. Once u re a civil servant they will kill u and she continued by saying that they had killed a lot of Muslims instantly

  2. I think there's one item that u guys(journalist ) refused to tell people and it was deliberate just to misled your readers. And that item is that in d case of d first reporter she said that it those occur to them whether u re a Muslim or not they will slide ur throat. They will ask u whether u re a civil servant? if ur answer is yes that is d end of it period!. The lady said they a lot of Muslims instantly, that's remind me of those who re still saying that is our leaders that caused all that and is very far from d truth. To them(BH) they re even anxious to see the northern leader who those not believe with their faith or ideology, they will kill him. This is bcos he is not df from the ones they re killing everyday. We should unite and fight our common enemies. For us to move forward as a nation

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