Survivors of a Decade-Long Boarding School Abduction Speak Out

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A group of girls were taken from their school and kept captive in the remote Sambisa forest for a long time. They were punished simply for wanting to go to school, facing forced marriages, religious pressure, and physical abuse from those who held them prisoner.

Over the past ten years, over 100 out of the 276 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram have been rescued. Unfortunately, the whereabouts of 82 girls are still unknown, as reported by Amnesty International.

Boko Haram has been carrying out a 15-year long insurgency in northern Nigeria, resulting in the abduction of thousands of individuals. Despite this, the Chibok girls stand out as a powerful symbol of hope and strength to the global community.

Near the 10th anniversary of their abduction, survivors were interviewed by CNN at the American University of Nigeria in Yola, Adamawa State. They have been receiving psychological treatment and participating in special programs to gain vocational skills and qualifications.

Check out the videos below to listen to their stories.

Raising a Boko Haram daughter

Amina Ali, who is now 27 years old, was the first Chibok schoolgirl to escape after being held captive for two years. She ran away with the man she was forced to marry by Boko Haram. They managed to escape from the Sambisa camp, and they were carrying their baby with them.

Amina hasn't seen him since they escaped in May 2016 and he was arrested by the Nigerian army. Today, their daughter is 8 years old.

Their daughter, who we will not name to protect her identity, has already experienced social stigma, being called a "child of Boko Haram."

Listen to Amina describe the bullying her daughter has endured.

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'Mommy, is it true I'm a child of Boko Haram?'

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Amina admits that it is not easy to be a single mom in her circumstances. Yet like many of her fellow survivors, she is pursuing her studies and hopes to become a successful entrepreneur.

“I believe my future is bright,” she says.

Boko Haram robbed her future

Hauwa Ishaya, a former ambitious student, was kidnapped at the age of 16. She spent three difficult years in captivity. Recently, she revisited Chibok with CNN and expressed her sorrow for the 82 students who are still missing, calling them her "sisters" from their time together in captivity.

Watch as the now 27-year-old revisits the spot where armed militants stormed her boarding school on April 14, 2014.

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Chibok survivor revisits school where she was kidnapped

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Hauwa experienced physical abuse while held captive and was pressured to marry a Boko Haram member, but she refused. Instead, she ended up serving her married sisters and caring for injured Boko Haram militants.

Despite facing difficult circumstances, Hauwa held onto hope, eagerly waiting for the day she would see her family again. In May 2017, that day finally arrived, and she couldn't hold back her tears of joy as she reunited with her loved ones.

"I was overjoyed," she remembers. "We all cried tears of happiness together."

She is currently pursuing a degree in communication and multimedia, with hopes of working in the media industry in the future. However, the trauma from her past experiences still affects her.

She mentions that sometimes when she starts crying, she finds herself unable to stop and may continue crying for up to a week.

She survived an air raid but lost her leg

Hannatu Stephen, 26, vividly recalls the morning bombs rained down on the Boko Haram enclave she was being held in.

The sound of Nigerian helicopters buzzing overhead filled her ears as she and a few girls sought refuge. Some were huddled next to her, while others were near the door. Suddenly, the peacefulness of the early morning was shattered by the deafening explosions.

In an instant, six of her friends lost their lives. Hannatu was the only one who survived.

After the bomb exploded, her left leg was severely injured. She was then brought to a makeshift clinic that usually treated wounded Boko Haram fighters.

She recalls, "The Boko Haram militants placed me in a car and drove me to the hospital. Upon arrival, the doctor informed me that my leg had sustained such extensive damage that it needed to be amputated."

Hear Hannatu speak in her native Hausa language about the pain of losing her leg.

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Her prosthetic leaves her in agonizing pain

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Hannatu spent two years in the hospital recovering and adjusting to life with one leg. She got a prosthetic after being released in May 2017, but it causes her a lot of pain.

Despite these challenges, she remains determined to pursue her studies in business administration. She’s hopeful that with some help, she can achieve her goals.

‘I believe she’s alive’

Yana Galang's life has been forever changed since her daughter was kidnapped 10 years ago. She still holds on to hope that she will see her daughter again, even though she doesn't know where she is.

After her daughter Rifkatu, who was 17 at the time, was taken, Yana started a monthly routine of washing her missing child's clothes.

Hear why this mother stays ready for her daughter’s return.

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Mom cries as she remembers her missing daughter

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Yana shares that she has found it difficult to cope with her sadness as she watches other girls who were abducted from the Chibok school along with her daughter come back home to their families. Despite this, her family continues to reside in Chibok, and reminders of Rifkatu, her missing daughter, are scattered around their house.

Yana fondly remembers Rifkatu, her fifth sibling out of eight, as a kind-hearted and hardworking individual. She gets emotional when she reminisces about Rifkatu skillfully braiding her hair, a special bonding moment they shared weekly.

Expressing her deep feelings, Yana softly states, "I really miss her. It's difficult for me to speak about her. The pain I feel is overwhelming, and only God can provide me solace."

Editor's P/S:

The harrowing experiences of the