The release is the biggest since the armed group swarmed a school in northern Nigeria in April 2014, kidnapping 276 girls.
But the ordeal is not over for the freed girls and their families, according to Peter Joseph, the uncle of one of the 21 schoolgirls released by Boko Haram in October 2016.
More than six months later, his niece, Sarah, is still in a government rehabilitation camp where the girls rarely see their families. “We were very happy to learn of the news that she was released,” he told The Stream’s Femi Oke. “But we are not very much impressed with the way the government is handling the whole rehabilitation process.”
Since her release, he’s only seen his niece once, when he traveled to Chibok last December. Even then, he says there were set time limits on visits, and many topics – like her experience as a prisoner - were off limits. He calls her often, but said she is only allowed to talk for two-three minutes before being cut off. He said his niece has told him that “only females can sneak in to see them sometimes but males are not allowed into the compound.”
“Nobody is allowed to see them,” he said. “So it’s like another imprisonment, but this one has to do with the government.”
Peter’s sister Elizabeth is still being held by Boko Haram.
The Stream also discussed the dangers of isolation; what rehabilitation means in this situation; and whether the ‘Chibok girls’ have become too famous to ever truly be free.
Watch and embed the full 25-minute discussion at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWbqO-eTZPM.
But the ordeal is not over for the freed girls and their families, according to Peter Joseph, the uncle of one of the 21 schoolgirls released by Boko Haram in October 2016.
More than six months later, his niece, Sarah, is still in a government rehabilitation camp where the girls rarely see their families. “We were very happy to learn of the news that she was released,” he told The Stream’s Femi Oke. “But we are not very much impressed with the way the government is handling the whole rehabilitation process.”
Since her release, he’s only seen his niece once, when he traveled to Chibok last December. Even then, he says there were set time limits on visits, and many topics – like her experience as a prisoner - were off limits. He calls her often, but said she is only allowed to talk for two-three minutes before being cut off. He said his niece has told him that “only females can sneak in to see them sometimes but males are not allowed into the compound.”
“Nobody is allowed to see them,” he said. “So it’s like another imprisonment, but this one has to do with the government.”
Peter’s sister Elizabeth is still being held by Boko Haram.
The Stream also discussed the dangers of isolation; what rehabilitation means in this situation; and whether the ‘Chibok girls’ have become too famous to ever truly be free.
Watch and embed the full 25-minute discussion at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWbqO-eTZPM.
I really feel for them tho. I doubt if they will remain the same. How long is the rehabilitation process supposed to last before they meet their family members.
ReplyDeletea.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said...
ReplyDelete.
I dey pity for this people shah nothing else...
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***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
Those girls will never be the same again. The damage is too much.
ReplyDeleteAnd some people still say no girls were kidnapped. Everything is politicised. Na wa.
ReplyDeleteChibok girls parents should be thanking GOD for the release of these girls.No parents should interfere with government rehabilition being done by knowlegeable people.if the children should be in custody of federal government to later relocste them back to school which we be of immense benefits to the parents at last in JESUS NAME.amen.if jonathan had ensured the release of these children things would not have been like this.nevertheless let our conscience be our judge.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmmm
DeleteChibok girls should be interviewed in a language they are comfortable with. Why? There's a public allegation of scam and the air needs to be cleared. It is serious, YES. The health of the girls is serious, so is the health of the nation
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of rehabilitation is the government giving them because health practitioner will say they should be isolated after what they went through. They need to go back to school and mix up with people so they don't become paranoid.
ReplyDeleteBut is something not fishy, why is the government isolating them again and limiting access to them. I don't get it. In other clime, they would have be granting interviews to discuss their experiences in Boko haram captivity and many individuals and organisations would have stand up to assist them but no in Buhari Republic everything must be shrouded in secrecy.......God will see the Chibok girls through this period
People should stop calling them chibok girls, rather chibok women. They have been left at the mercy of phidophiles for years, one can only imagine what they must have passed through in the hands of those merciless aboki dicks.....
ReplyDelete*runs away*
I pray for fast recovery for them
ReplyDeleteThese girls have been traumatised in ways the average mind may find impracticable to process. They may need years of rehabilitation and some may be so broken that they might never be emotionally and psychologically balanced again. The problem is, no matter the steps government choose to take, there will always be a faction who will still criticise and conjure up conspiracy theories.
ReplyDeleteSome lost their virginity to their captors, most were probably raped, impregnated and forced to give birth at such a young age. Who knows what the condition of the medical assistance for them was like? Some were introduced to the world of men, violent men at that, and they may nurse resentment toward men. Some were infected with STDs. Of course, a few may have been plagued with Stockholm syndrome and may want to return to their "lovers". A few may have settled in "nicely" and were malleable enough to share similar mindsets with the terrorists. The list is endless, really.
It will be less than smart to release these girls to their families without trying to undo the damage and brainwashing done to them, and that takes time. It will be unsafe to send them to their different homes. Some whom were successfully indoctrinated might wakeup in the middle of the night and slash the throats of their family members. Some may be driven to suicide out of shame and depression from segregation/stigmatisation or decide to become suicide bombers. Too many variables with less than favourable outcomes.
Another major factor is how the public reception will be. Most, if not all, of us know how judgmental and superstitious the Nigerian society is. These girls may be treated like lepers, abominations of some sort. If people are impatient and want the rehabilitation period reduced and the girls couldn't get the right tools to cope with rejection and stigmatisation, they 'll become like the ticking time bombs that can detonate at any second. The damage done in 3 years cannot be "undone" in 6months. I can imagine how the parents/guardians must be feeling but they need to be a little more patient. I just sincerely hope they are getting the right treatment/ therapy.
Well said Ronalda. You are so right. The govt probably vets family members too...the fact that a girl is a chibok girl does not mean her home environment before kidnap was necessarily a supportive one. The government should work with proper counsellors and psychiatrists too to ensure the right thing is done with enough explanation to the families, and also allow more interaction under observation.
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