Even as the Oby Ezekwesili-led Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) advocacy group continues to mount pressure on the Federal Government to effect the release of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls still in Boko Haram custody, parents of the girls rescued so far are howling, although secretly, for the government to return their daughters to them.
In night visits to four parents of the rescued girls by this reporter who was undercover in Chibok for five days, the parents lamented that what the government was doing to their rescued daughters was tactical kidnap in the guise of taking care of them but that the real motive was to prevent the girls from sharing damning information about their captivity with their parents.
“They (FG) are hiding something. We the parents of all the girls released so far are not enjoying the company of our children because you don’t enjoy the company of a person you don’t see. Our girls have moved from Boko Haram captivity to government captivity,” said one of the parents whose identity must not be revealed for fear of victimisation.
“The Nigerian government has continued to treat us as animals since our girls were released. Even when we go to Abuja to see our girls, we are heavily guarded. We hardly have parent-daughter conversations,” said the parent.
“They (FG) are hiding something. We the parents of all the girls released so far are not enjoying the company of our children because you don’t enjoy the company of a person you don’t see. Our girls have moved from Boko Haram captivity to government captivity,” said one of the parents whose identity must not be revealed for fear of victimisation.
“The Nigerian government has continued to treat us as animals since our girls were released. Even when we go to Abuja to see our girls, we are heavily guarded. We hardly have parent-daughter conversations,” said the parent.
At another location in Chibok, a parent of one of the 82 recently rescued girls, who was cautious so as not to reveal “classified information” to an unintended person, repeatedly questioned the presence and purpose of this reporter in Chibok in general and in his house in particular at such odd hour, saying parents whose children are still being held by Boko Haram have been told by officials of the Nigerian government to hold those whose children have been rescued responsible should the process of rescuing the rest be compromised through “careless talk”.
“The government is playing a dangerous political game with the lives of our children. All of us parents, both the ones whose children have been released and those whose children are still being held, we have one thing in common – the children are still living outside us. What makes our pain lesser is that while we already know the fate our children because we have gone to Abuja to identify them, these other parents are yet to know the state of their children,” he said in the local language.
“The government is playing a dangerous political game with the lives of our children. All of us parents, both the ones whose children have been released and those whose children are still being held, we have one thing in common – the children are still living outside us. What makes our pain lesser is that while we already know the fate our children because we have gone to Abuja to identify them, these other parents are yet to know the state of their children,” he said in the local language.
“But we are all same Chibok parents going through same emotional torture. We can’t understand why our children have left Boko Haram captivity but the government is hiding under taking care of them to deny us the joy of their presence. How many of the officials will allow this kind of thing happen to their own children? They are holding our children against our will and that of the girls. The only explanation for this is because they have something to hide from the whole world. But they can’t hide the truth forever. The truth will come out one day,” he said.
One of the parents whose daughter was among the first 21 girls released in October 2016 wondered why activists and human rights groups, such as the BBOG, who have been at the forefront in pressurising the government to rescue the Chibok girls are yet to apply similar pressure on the government to reunite the rescued girls with their respective families.
“The purpose of the BBOG, if I understand them, is to get our girls released and brought back to their parents. In October this year, it will be one year since government started rescuing them and yet, none of the rescued girl is reunited with the parents. Until the girls are brought back to the parents, the efforts of the groups like BBOG will not be a complete one because the parents are still suffering,” he said in homemade English, tears cascading down his cheeks.
One of the parents whose daughter was among the first 21 girls released in October 2016 wondered why activists and human rights groups, such as the BBOG, who have been at the forefront in pressurising the government to rescue the Chibok girls are yet to apply similar pressure on the government to reunite the rescued girls with their respective families.
“The purpose of the BBOG, if I understand them, is to get our girls released and brought back to their parents. In October this year, it will be one year since government started rescuing them and yet, none of the rescued girl is reunited with the parents. Until the girls are brought back to the parents, the efforts of the groups like BBOG will not be a complete one because the parents are still suffering,” he said in homemade English, tears cascading down his cheeks.
“Now, the government is claiming to be teaching our children but how do you teach children who are demoralized? Yes, there are exceptional ones who are interested in learning under the government but they also know that the government is playing game with them. They know where they have been kept and you can’t keep their month shut forever. The parents of some of the girls died as a result of their captivity. God is already judging the leaders of this government because of what they did to our children,” he said.
All the parents who spoke to BDSUNDAY flayed the Federal Government for lying to the whole world each time a batch is rescued that the girls would be reunited but end up treating the parents like suspects in a matter concerning their own children. They also faulted government’s denial that some of the sect’s leaders held by the authority were not exchanged for the Chibok girls. One of the fathers quoted his daughter as saying that in addition to the exchange, the Nigerian government also paid huge amount of money to the terrorist group.
All the parents who spoke to BDSUNDAY flayed the Federal Government for lying to the whole world each time a batch is rescued that the girls would be reunited but end up treating the parents like suspects in a matter concerning their own children. They also faulted government’s denial that some of the sect’s leaders held by the authority were not exchanged for the Chibok girls. One of the fathers quoted his daughter as saying that in addition to the exchange, the Nigerian government also paid huge amount of money to the terrorist group.
Kept in a lawmaker’s house
Outside the parents’ revelations, BDSUNDAY independent investigation showed that contrary to what Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, told Nigerians and the whole world that the 21 girls released in October 2016 were taken to Chibok where they celebrated that year’s Christmas with their parents, the girls actually wept uncontrollably and refused to eat because they were not allowed to see their parents.
While the Nigerian government gave the impression that the girls went home, ate and dined with their parents, BDSUNDAY confirmed authoritatively that the girls were kept in a house belonging to Aimu Foni, who represents Chibok in Borno State House of Assembly, where the girls cried their hearts out before their parents were brought in a desperate measure to calm frayed nerves.
When the parents were brought to the compound which was heavily guarded by stern-looking armed soldiers, they were thoroughly searched in a bid to ensure they had no hidden recording device and their phones taken from them. The parents were only allowed to spend maximum of five minutes with the girls under the supervision of security agents who monitored their conversations. Civilians were not allowed to come near the area as well till the girls were evacuated back to Abuja.
When the parents were brought to the compound which was heavily guarded by stern-looking armed soldiers, they were thoroughly searched in a bid to ensure they had no hidden recording device and their phones taken from them. The parents were only allowed to spend maximum of five minutes with the girls under the supervision of security agents who monitored their conversations. Civilians were not allowed to come near the area as well till the girls were evacuated back to Abuja.
A younger sister to one of the 21 girls rescued in October 2016, who is currently in SS1 in Government Secondary School, Chibok, where the girls were abducted in April 2014 and where this reporter took up a three-day voluntary teaching job to maintain his cover, said the rescued sister told her family members when she was freed that she and the other abducted girls received good care from “Abubakar Shekau” and that they were never manhandled while in captivity.
According to her, Shekau repeatedly warned hot-headed members of the group who wanted forced sexual acts to stay off the girls, sounding it loud and clear to them that the girls were a job given to him by persons in government and that they were his bargaining power which must be protected at all cost.
“From what my sister told us, they were not beaten by Boko Haram boys. Shekau never allowed the girls to be mistreated. He even killed some members of the group who wanted to have their way against his warnings. He told his boys that nothing must happen to the girls because his being able to get money depends on the existence of the girls until the time given to him,” she narrated.
“What my sister said Shekau normally did was to ask the girls who among them was interested in getting married. Once any of them indicated interest, he would act as father of the bride and the girl would be given in marriage to a sect member of her choice. Once any of the sect members was given a wife by Shekau, he was no longer allowed to solicit for sex from any of the girls. He must now take his wife far into Sambisa and settle down. That was how many of them got pregnant and had babies. You remember that some of them who were rescued cried that they wanted to return to their Boko Haram husbands,” she said.
“From what my sister told us, they were not beaten by Boko Haram boys. Shekau never allowed the girls to be mistreated. He even killed some members of the group who wanted to have their way against his warnings. He told his boys that nothing must happen to the girls because his being able to get money depends on the existence of the girls until the time given to him,” she narrated.
“What my sister said Shekau normally did was to ask the girls who among them was interested in getting married. Once any of them indicated interest, he would act as father of the bride and the girl would be given in marriage to a sect member of her choice. Once any of the sect members was given a wife by Shekau, he was no longer allowed to solicit for sex from any of the girls. He must now take his wife far into Sambisa and settle down. That was how many of them got pregnant and had babies. You remember that some of them who were rescued cried that they wanted to return to their Boko Haram husbands,” she said.
Shortly after the last 82 girls were released, the media arm of Boko Haram released a video on YouTube where three masked girls said in Chibok language that they refused to return because they were well taken care of and were on the right path with the terror group, while tagging those who decided to return “apostates” and “cowards”.
BDSUNDAY can also report that so far, all the rescued girls have no personal mobile phones through which they can reach their parents at will. They can only reach their parents through “Matrons” put in charge of them by government. It is these female government employees that coordinate the telephone conversations between the girls and their parents, an arrangement both the parents and girls are bitter about.
BDSUNDAY can also report that so far, all the rescued girls have no personal mobile phones through which they can reach their parents at will. They can only reach their parents through “Matrons” put in charge of them by government. It is these female government employees that coordinate the telephone conversations between the girls and their parents, an arrangement both the parents and girls are bitter about.
Efforts to have government’s response failed. Multiple calls to the mobile line of Information Minister Lai Mohamed showed it was not available. A text was then sent to him, with the telecom service provider notifying few hours later that the message was delivered. When the line was called this time around, there was a response that the user was busy. When it eventually rang, it was not answered. As at the time of filing this report the minister had yet to reply the text message.
The plight of a parent whose daughters are still in captivity
Reverend Enoch Mark was the pastor-in-charge at Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (Chibok Chapter) when this reporter visited Chibok in 2014 after the girls were abducted. This time around, he was nowhere near Chibok. When this reporter called him on the phone, he said he had been replaced by a new pastor. He was so devastated at the time that he lost interest in his pastoral calling since there was no roof over his head and that of his family members.
Mark’s two daughters were among the abducted girls. But not being as lucky as the parents whose children have been rescued, he is yet to know the fate of his daughters.
“I have two daughters in Boko Haram’s Sambisa forest – one is biological and the other adopted. Four years after, the government is still struggling to rescue all the girls. At a time during the administration of Jonathan, a Chief of Defence Staff announced that he knew where our girls were. But today, my girls are still not found by the new government. I am even ashamed to call myself a Nigerian,” he said on the telephone.
Mark’s two daughters were among the abducted girls. But not being as lucky as the parents whose children have been rescued, he is yet to know the fate of his daughters.
“I have two daughters in Boko Haram’s Sambisa forest – one is biological and the other adopted. Four years after, the government is still struggling to rescue all the girls. At a time during the administration of Jonathan, a Chief of Defence Staff announced that he knew where our girls were. But today, my girls are still not found by the new government. I am even ashamed to call myself a Nigerian,” he said on the telephone.
NATHANIEL AKHIGBE, who just returned from Chibok
