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Kidnapped Nigerian girl freed, returned with baby

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria –

Two Nigerian women who were kidnapped by a jihadist group nine years ago as schoolgirls have been rescued, the West African national army says. One gave birth to a one-year-old child while the second gave birth to a second child a few days after being freed.

Hauwa Maltha and Esther Marcus were among 276 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014 at the Government Girls’ High School in Chibok village.

They were rescued by Nigerian troops in April and reunited with their families in the northeastern state of Borno, according to Major General Ibrahim Ali, who has commanded Nigeria’s military campaign against the extremist violence experienced in the region. northeastern region for more than a decade.

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Borno school nine years ago as girls were preparing for exams. The mass kidnapping sparked global outrage and led to the .BringBackOurGirls social media campaign. More than 20 girls have regained their freedom in the past year, but nearly 100 are still missing.

Maltha and Marcus, both 26, were forcibly married to extremists while in captivity, Ali told journalists in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, on Thursday. His comments echo the concerns of parents and activists about the abuse of little girls by Boko Haram, whose name in the local Hausa language means “Western education is forbidden”.

Both girls were married three times when husband after husband was killed in clashes with the Nigerian army.

“Hauwa was about 8 months and 2 weeks pregnant during the time of the rescue, giving birth to a beautiful baby boy on April 28 while undergoing a thorough medical examination along with baby Fatima,” the military commander said. know.

The return of the girls has brought excitement to many in the Chibok community. Hassan Chibok, a local leader, said: “It reminds parents that their children are still missing.

Some of the girls have returned home in recent months, mainly after escaping from Sambisa Forest, a notorious hideout for extremists. Most returnees have children after being forced into marriage or after losing hope that they will regain their freedom, their parents and the freed girls said.

Since the 2014 kidnapping, Boko Haram has expanded its reach and influence. Most of its members now operate as a more brutal faction supported by the Islamic State group. More than 35,000 people have died and more than 2 million have been displaced by violent extremism in Nigeria, according to the United Nations Development Program.


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Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria, contributed.



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