The father of my child has been killed, says rescued Chibok girl

Maryam Ali Maiyanga, the latest Chibok schoolgirl to regain freedom from the captivity of Boko Haram, says the father of her ten-month-old son, has been killed.

According to Lucky Irabor, theatre commander of 7 Division of the Nigeria Army, Maiyanga said this while undergoing screening on Saturday morning.

Irabor, who addressed journalists after the girl and her son were handed over to the Borno state government, expressed optimism that the remaining captives would be freed.

He also gave details on how the girl was discovered.

“At about 6am, while screening some escapees from Boko Haram terrorists’ hideout in Sambisa forest, we discovered one of the abducted Government Secondary School Chibok girls named Maryam Ali Maiyanga, among them,” he said.

“She was discovered to be carrying a 10-month-old son, named Ali.

“She revealed to us that her husband, who is the father of her child, was killed by Boko Haram insurgents during one of the military operations in Sambisa forest.

“The Nigerian Army felt very elated because the desire of any army officer in operation Lafiya Dole is to make sure that every person that is held hostage by the Boko Haram insurgents is rescued.

“We are hopeful that all the other captives would be released. This has come and it has strengthened our hope that the rest would be rescued.”

Kakashehu Lawal, Borno commissioner of justice, who received the freed captives, commended the military for their continuous efforts toward securing the release of all those abducted by the insurgents.

“This is indeed a great achievement not only for the state government but also for the federal government because one of the commitments of Mr President is to rescue all the girls alive and reunite them with their parents,”Lawal said.

Maiyanga was among the 219 girls that were kidnapped in Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state, on April 14.

A total of 276 girls were abducted, while 57 managed to escape, 23, including Maiyanga were rescued, meaning 196 are still unaccounted for.