Rescued women likely from Gumsuri, Borno villages--Relatives

ome of the 293 girls and women who were rescued by troops from the Sambisa forest are likely those kidnapped by the Boko Haram towards the end of last year from Gumsuri village in Damboa LGA, relatives said yesterday.

The village is seven kilometers from Damboa, along the Chibok road in southern part of the state. Boko Haram militants had attacked Gumsuri on Sunday, December 14, 2014 killing 32 men who were mostly vigilantes.

They also kidnapped 185 females, including married women and young girls while more than 90 percent of the village was destroyed.

But when the story was reported by the media, the federal government, through the National Information Centre, as well as the Defence Headquarters, expressed doubts over the abductions. The Defence Headquarters yesterday has said those rescued were not Chibok girls.

In the past one year, several abductions, especially of teenage boys and girls, have taken place in villages in Konduga, Kaga, Mafa, Dikwa, Gamboru Ngala and other local government areas of Borno State. Some of the people from Gumsuri who are now taking refuge in Maiduguri yesterday pleaded that they should be allowed to see the rescued women.

Our correspondent learnt from credible sources that after their rescue from the Sambisa Forest, the 293 women were camped at a location near Gwoza town which was recently liberated.

“We are expecting the freed women here in Maiduguri as soon as their verification is completed,” a source at the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army said.

Amnesty International said yesterday that the ‘rescue’ of the women and girls was an encouraging development but only a small step in securing the safety of the thousands of women and girls abducted by the armed group since 2014. The organization also called on the authorities to ensure that the trauma of those ‘rescued’ is not exacerbated by lengthy security screening in detention.

“This development is just cause for celebration and undoubtedly an immense relief to the women, girls and their families. But this is just the tip of the iceberg; there are thousands more women and girls, and men and boys who have been abducted by Boko Haram,” said Netsanet Belay, Africa Director, Research and Advocacy. According to a recent Amnesty International report, more than 2,000 women and girls have been abducted by Boko Haram.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State described the rescue as gratifying. He said Nigerians had every reason to celebrate the feat regardless of whether the rescued women form part of the over 200 schoolgirls stolen by the Boko Haram insurgents at Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014. He spoke through his spokesman, Isa Gusau.