The two rescued girls abducted from the GGSS Chibok in Borno in 2014, Mary Dauda and Hauwa Joseph have disclosed that more than 20 missing others are still in Gazuwa camp in Sambisa Forest, eight years after being kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents.
Gazuwa camp is the acclaimed headquarters of the Jam’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’lJihd, Boko Haram faction, formerly known as Gabchari, Mantari and Mallum Masari, located about nine kilometres to Bama Local Government Area of Borno.
The rescued girls gave the confirmation while speaking with journalists, on Tuesday, in Maiduguri, during a news conference at the Command and Control Centre, Maimalari Cantonment.
Mary Dauda, who recounted her experience in the hands of the insurgents, said she could still vividly recall her compulsory marriage eight years ago after she was abducted at the age of 18 years.
She explained that she had to walk through the deadly forest for many days before she could find help, saying like the others conscripted by the militants, she had been told that she would be hunted down and killed if she deserted.
She said “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. 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 Gava village in Gwoza, after walking for many hours through the deadly forest under hardship condition. I asked some people to direct me to the home of 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 had placed her on strict surveillance for attempting to run. I then left her and proceeded toward Ngoshe town.
Mary continued: “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 8.00 p.m, he took me to Ngoshe town and told me to pass the night in 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.”
On her part, Hauwa Joseph said she was forcefully married to Amir Abbah, commander of Boko Haram (Munzul), at Gazuwa camp who was later killed during an encounter with the troops of the Nigerian Army.
She hinted that she voluntarily escaped from the camp of the terrorists during massive incursion of the troops of the Nigerian army into their camp in Gazuwa on June 12.
According to her, as people were running the same direction where the sect members are hiding women and children, she took a separate route to escape from the terrorists camp.