by Ranti Joseph
Boko Haram insurgents released a total of 158 women and children abducted from Katarko village and they have been reunited with their families in Damaturu, Yobe.
The victims were released by the sect members after three weeks of captivity.
The state Commissioner for Justice and Chairman of the State Committee on Rehabilitation of Victims of Insurgency, Ahmed Goniri, said this while addressing journalists in Damaturu on Thursday.
“The victims were screened by security operatives to authenticate their status while government provided them with psychological therapy to ease their trauma,” Goniri said.
It was reported that the victims were released by the insurgents three weeks ago but remained in custody of security agencies to undergo screening to ensure that they were indeed captives.
Abdurahman Dauda, a displaced person, said his wife and six girls were released by the insurgents. “Two of my boys are still in their custody but, I am of high spirit that they will soon be rescued,” he said.
One of the victims also said the insurgents didn’t rape or abuse them, they simply asked those who were not interested in their religion to leave, and they were eventually released.
Meanwhile, the state government has provided N50,000, two bags of rice, sugar, noodles and wrapper to each of the 15 widows among the victims, while 47 other women received N30,000 each and same quantity of rice, sugar, noodles and wrapper.
Presenting the relief materials, Goniri said government commiserated with the families of the victims and provided the relief materials to help them to resettle stating that 20 boys were still in custody of the insurgents and expressed hope that the renewed operation against the insurgents would rescue them from their captors.
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