"I had planned my escape from the beginning. There is a time my husband spent two weeks away, so I attempted to escape but guards returned me and beat me." Haleema said she somehow found a way to escape on a day when the security in the camp was relaxed and she walked through the bush for days until she found her way back to her village where she discovered that her husband had been killed by the sect members and their home destroyed. She also discovered when she returned that she was 7 months pregnant. Haleema says she has been rejected by her kinsmen for being pregnant for a sect member and insiting on keeping the pregnancy. "People in this village are rejecting me because of the pregnancy. Some will be happy to have me dead. Many people are even saying that I should go for an abortion." she saidIt's an option she refuses to consider, even though she says the men who live in her community have said they will not tolerate the children of Boko Haram living amongst them. She says they have threatened to kill both her and her baby.
"We heard about one girl who died after she attempted an abortion, losing both the mother and the baby. The girl was the only child to her mother, so that scared us. If God wishes, she will give birth safely. Life is in the hands of God alone."she saidA leader of the vigilante group in Haleema's community denied knowing that she was pregnant but he however stated that the tradition in their community forbids the children of Boko Haram members living with them
"I am not aware of any woman in this village who was impregnated by them. If any woman is found to be pregnant, in our tradition, the pregnancy is considered Haram (unlawful), hence we cannot accept them wholeheartedly because they can be like baby snakes."the leader saidSource: CNN
 |
'He suffered a heart attack but it could have been a different story had the ambulance driver was alert. The driver was at the stands watching the game when Oniya suddenly collapsed and our defender was deprived of oxygen for several minutes.'he saidMay his soul rest in peace, Amen.
“I trekked for 38 days all the way from Lagos to Yola to see Atiku in view of his role over APC victory in the general election, but up to now I was unable to see him. I am now stranded with no money to go back; at times, I sleep in motor park or squat with good Samaritans.” he saidAliyu Adamu, who rode on a bicycle for eight days from Kaduna to Yola, said;
“I want to thank the secretary, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Adamawa Council, Mr. Baba Zare, who has been assisting me since arrival to cope with the difficult situation I found myself in. But I want to meet Atiku before finding my way back to Kaduna.”Suleiman, who trekked from Shelleng town, Adamawa, to Yola, the state capital to see his hero, said he has has resorted to squatting with relatives in the town.
He answered 'I believe that any incoming political leader, anybody at the head of government should be given at least a little time to develop his own rhythm. I do not think it is right to impose one’s own sense of governance rhythm on anyone. This county was not coming from ground zero. This new administration is not just getting in at ground zero, but somewhere below zero. So I think, we should just give some little time for any incoming government to find its pace, decide its own priorities. I have mine, you have yours. Everybody here has his or her priorities. In fact, mine changes all the time, depending on whether electricity is flowing or it is not flowing. So let us just give the government a little time.In your opinion, who do you expect to see in Buhari’s cabinet?
I do not answer questions like that.
That is an answer to an earlier question which you posed. Obviously, Boko Haram is very much on his mind and constitutes a priority.But some people have said that he should stop seeking for outside help?
This is exactly how we got into this mess because we did not seek help at the right time. If we had sought outside help when those girls were kidnapped, things would not have been the same. But it was too late. They would have been rescued if help was sought at the proper time or necessary actions had been taken. So we dragged our feet and I heard statements like ‘oh this is a national problem, we will solve our own problem.’ So there is cynical false pride. And when lives are at stake and the future of our children is at stake, people should swallow their pride and look for help because that becomes not just a national priority, it becomes a humanistic priority. So, if he wants to travel round the entire globe in order to solve the issue of Boko Haram, please just let him do so.
