‘I walked through deadly forest’ — Chibok girl recounts how she escaped from captivity

Hauwa Joseph and Mary Dauda, two missing Chibok girls found on Thursday, have recounted how they escaped from captivity.

The girls were among over 200 schoolgirls abducted on April 14, 2014 when Boko Haram insurgents attacked the Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS) in Chibok, Borno state.

The girls who were said to have been rescued by troops were found with two children.

According to Zagazola Makama, a publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the girls who spoke at a press conference in Maiduguri on Wednesday said they went through horror in captivity.

Dauda was said to have been forcefully married to one of the fighters.

The rescued girl said she walked through the Sambisa forest for many days before she found help.

“I took excuse from Malam Ahmed, that I will be visiting my relative from Chibok in the town of Ngoshe and he gave me one week. That is when I began my journey for freedom,” she said.

“I left Sabil Huda, popularly known as the camp of Abubakar Shekau and proceeded towards Njimiya and Parisu, where I met some of the Mujahedeens. They asked where I was going to and I told them I was given permission to visit my sister in Ngoshe.

“I finally arrived at Gava village in Gwoza, after walking for many hours through the deadly forest under harsh condition. I asked some people to direct me to the home of a daughter of Chibok.

“After meeting her, I told her of my plans to return home, she told me she had wanted to come with me but her husband has placed her on strict surveillance for attempting to run. I then left her and proceeded towards Ngoshe town.

“On my way, I met an old man who promised to help me to escape. But he told me that it won’t be possible in the afternoon until the sun had set. At about 8 p.m., he took me to Ngoshe town and told me to pass the night on the outskirt of the town and proceed the next morning.

“When the day broke, I took myself to some soldiers where I was rescued with my baby.”

Joseph who was also said to be forcefully married to Amir Abbah, one of the late Boko Haram commanders at Gazuwa camp, said she escaped from the camp when troops of the Nigerian Army launched an offensive on the hideout on June 12.

She said as people were running in the same direction where the sect members were keeping women and children, she took a separate route to escape from the camp.

Christopher Musa, theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai, said both girls were rescued following massive military operations in Sambisa Forest, Mandara Mountain, and the Lake Chad area.

“We are putting more efforts to ensure that the rest of the girls are rescued through the ongiong Operation Lake and Desert Sanity,” he said.