A Borno-based humanitarian organisation, Jire Dole Network of Victims and Relations of the Conflict in North East Nigeria, has revealed how Boko Haram started its abduction of girls, women and conducted forceful marriages.

The group, which has been working on the rights of victims and relations of persons affected by insurgency in Borno, recalled in Maiduguri on Sunday during the five years remembrance of Chibok schoolgirls abduction, that Boko Haram started its kidnap activity in late 2011.

Head of the network Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin in a press briefing recalled how the insurgents took away some girls and women at a community at the outskirts of Maiduguri and threw monies to their parents as dowry for the forceful marriages.

“This ugly situation came towards the end of 2011, at the peak of the insurgency when a portion of Maiduguri – Ngarannam ward at the outskirts of Maiduguri was secluded to be an abode of the extremist group, young women and girls were targeted and taken away from their homes at night (with N2,000 – N5,000 thrown to their parents as dowry),” Allamin said.

She said the group conducted research with many victims and relations of the girls and woman giving information about the series of abductions which preceded the kidnap of Chibok schoolgirls on April 14, 2014.

“Residents of Maiduguri call it ‘Auren Markas’ (Markas marriage). Markas was the destroyed house of the leader of the insurgent’s group, Mohammed Upside, the birthplace and headquarters of Boko Haram in Maiduguri

She said the network has some witnesses that testified to abduction and forceful marriages took place at Umarari, Bulabulin Ngarannam, Kaleri and Zajiri wards in Maiduguri though the newspaper cannot immediately verified the claims.

She said Boko Haram also abducted some girls and women at Monguno, Marte and around Konduga, Bama and Gwoza in 2013. She said the mass abduction of girls and women was Boko Haram response to clampdown on the insurgents wives in the heat of the violence as claimed in one of the group’s videos in 2012.

She appealed to the Federal Government to investigate some of these abductions and intensify efforts at securing the release of the remaining 112 Chibok girls in Boko Haram custody. (Sunday Sun)

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