Paulina Jabina, who was abducted by the Boko Haram sect but managed to escape, has recounted her ordeal, revealing what members of the Boko Haram sect did to her and other abducted girls.
The young girl, who was in Sambisa forest for a year, disclosed this in an interview with Leadership.
Extracts below:
“We really suffered a lot and we passed through a lot of tribulations to the extent that I thought I would never survive the ordeals. We suffered degrading and dehumanising conditions as we received a lot of beating, we mostly stayed with hunger and most times living on fruits. The only time we got something to eat was when the insurgents raided communities and even at that they usually gives us small morsels which we cook in order to survive.
“With the success Nigerian Troops are making over the insurgents, the Boko Haram insurgents are now in complete disarray because at a point, we heard their leader saying that he was considering negotiating with the government in order to release the Chibok girls and also heard him a number of times, regretting his actions. Most of the abducted girls have been married off to the Boko Haram fighters while a number of them were sent on suicide missions but even at that, some strong hearted women refused to change their faith.”
She said when the army cut their food supply; they were left to starve for days.
“I am glad I escaped but I will tell you that my escape is more of a divine provision than self-effort. While we were staying in Sambisa, we learnt that an old Fulani man rearing cows had helped two women to escape so we met him and asked for his assistance to help us escape and he agreed. On the appointed date, we sneaked at about 7pm to meet the man resulting in a four day trek to freedom which started on Wednesday and ended on Saturday.
“When we arrived Gwoza, we stayed with soldiers for a week before we were taken to Madagali where I learnt that my father had been killed by the insurgents while majority of my relatives are staying in Yola IDP camp, so people helped me with money to come and get reunited with my family members here in Yola.”
“I was married to one insurgent called Bana. He is in Sambisa now. They used to beat the hell out of any girl who refuses to submit to their sexual demands. Sometimes they kill or inflict serious body injuries to any girl who refuses to sleep with them.”
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