18/02/2016
Girls rescued from the clutches of
Boko Haram get unexpectedly
hostile homecoming
It was the hashtag that turned the spotlight on
the crisis of Nigerian girls and women being
abducted by Boko Haram: # BringBackOurGirls .
But now that government and humanitarian
efforts are resulting in some women being
rescued from the Islamic militant group and
returned to their homes, it seems not all
Nigerians are welcoming them with open arms.
According to a joint report released Tuesday by
UNICEF and human rights group International
Alert, many women and teen girls who were
once held by Boko Haram are being rejected by
their families and communities. People treat the
former captives with mistrust over fears the
women have become radicalized supporters of
the extremists. But the suspicious behavior of
family members tends to become explicit
persecution if the former captives bore children
after being sexually assaulted by members of
Boko Haram.
The babies may be innocent, but they are seen
by locals as being infected with “bad blood”
from their ra**st Boko Haram fathers, according
to the report.
“There is a belief that, like their fathers,
the children will inevitably do what
hyenas do and ‘eat’ the innocent dogs
around them,” wrote the report’s authors.
Rejected by their families and neighbors, many
of the women and their children are being
pushed into poverty. To avoid homelessness and
to provide for their babies, some are turning to
prostitution to earn money. As a result, the
children themselves are “at risk of rejection,
abandonment, discrimination, and potential
violence,” wrote the report’s authors.
“These findings show a pressing need to
do more to reintegrate those returning
from captivity by Boko Haram,” Kimairis
Toogood, International Alert’s peace-
building adviser in Nigeria, said in a
statement. “Many of these girls already
face lasting trauma of sexual violence
and being separated from their families,
so we must ensure they get all the
support they need when they finally
return.”
Approximately 2,000 women and girls have been
abducted since 2012. Despite the campaign in
raising awareness, the nearly 300 abducted
schoolgirls still haven’t been returned home.
As for those girls and women who have been
rescued, only to face a hostile homecoming,
International Alert and UNICEF said more
humanitarian assistance for them is needed.
“There is a fear that if the needs of
these survivors and returning populations
are not met, these factors could add
another dimension to an already complex
conflict situation in northeast Nigeria,”
said Toogood.
