THE discovery that about 214 abducted women, who were rescued recently from Sambisa forest are pregnant, has thrown the nation into a dilemma. There are fears that they may have been impregnated by the Boko Haram insurgents. Indeed, the implications of the development were not lost on Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kassim Shettima, who lamented that the terrorists deliberately impregnated the women to breed a new generation of terrorists.
‘’I am happy with the recovery of hundreds of women and children, it is a thing of joy that they have been freed alive. However, I am also very worried about what the future holds for us if what I have gathered about these insurgents works according to their plan.
I remember discussing this in an elaborate interview last year. These people (Boko Haram) have a certain spiritual conviction that any child they father will grow to inherit their ideology whether they live with the children or not.
They also believe that whoever does not hold their ideology is an unbeliever that should be killed and rendered homeless and whatever belongs to him or her, becomes a legitimate booty recovered from enemies,” Shettima said. Shettima may be right or wrong but the fact is that the circumstances that led to the pregnancies have raised critical questions on what to do with the unborn babies.
Considering the long and short-run psychological consequences of keeping babies that would often be a reminder of the ordeal in the hands of terrorists, the question across board is: what options are available in the best interests of all concerned?
Socio-cultural and religious implications
This poser, according to Vanguard Features,VF, checks comes against the backdrop of the psychological, socio-cultural and even religious implications of abortion. In what could pass for an apt response, Shettima, whose state is the hotbed of the Boko Haram insurgency suggested:
‘’After establishing the paternity of the children and background of those pregnant, where any is found to be pregnant, the Federal Government will have to work with state governments whose citizens are affected, so that we get the involvement of medical and psychosocial specialists as well as child welfare experts so that we deal with the situation by properly documenting these kids without getting them stigmatized, monitoring and working towards raising these kids to become educated future leaders without the slightest ideologies of their fathers in order for us to cut the circle being envisaged.’’
In spite of the governor’s position, VF found out that some are still worried about the prospects of habouring off-springs of terrorists. ‘’To me it all depends on their religious beliefs on abortion. As for me alone, I would say remove it. What is the purpose of keeping a product of your worst nightmare, only to bring them to life and then trying to fend for them with no source of income and support? Many times when I see a single mother trying to feed her kids, I am like anyone who raised his hand against a woman is a beast,’’ a blogger who does not want his name in print, stated.
Your worst nightmare
Another blogger said: ‘’I can tell you, it churns my stomach to imagine carrying the child of a rapist. Only God can heal those girls of the psychological trauma they have been through. As much as it is nauseating to be carrying the seed of those beasts, every single child is completely innocent of the sins of the father.’’ However, Ololade Hector-Fowobaje, child Psychologist and founder 05 Centre For Women and Children, has a contrary opinion.
‘’They should have the babies and the government, who must assume the role of foster parents to these girls at this time, should give each girl, in consultation with the parents, the liberty to decide if she wants to raise the child or not when the baby is born; and if she doesn’t, she should be given the option of releasing the baby to the government to be placed in a standard orphanage. Also, some of them already gave birth in captivity and those children must be taken into consideration as well,’’ she said.
Asked if the circumstances surrounding the conception justified having abortion, Hector-Fowobaje declared, ‘’ abortion is just not the answer,’’ saying: ‘’This is a very sad, painful and messy situation. There are really no simple answers here but I believe abortion is just not the answer.
Even though we know the risks of VFS and others are there, I believe the risk with abortion is higher. I know there is this view that the girls should not be ‘saddled’ with these babies so that they won’t have human reminders of their trauma, but then abortion would also have a physical and emotional impact on them.’’
Abortion would be unavoidable
‘’However, if doctors certify that any girl’s life would be at risk if she carries the pregnancy, then abortion would be unavoidable. It’s a very dicey situation we have here. From a spiritual angle, I also believe God can work through our pains and there can be light at the end of the tunnel,’’ she added. On whether the babies could be susceptible to violence on account of their paternity, she noted that there is no certainty that violence would be in their genes.
‘’I believe a child’s socialization is a bigger determinant of a child’s tendencies. Most of these militants were radicalized and socialized themselves to be violent and merciless. There is no certainty that it is in their genes; they were brainwashed by their leaders. If these children are brought up in a healthy home or a reputable well-managed orphanage I believe they will be nothing like their fathers,’’ she added.
Despite her pro-life stance on the issue, Hector-Fawobaje expressed fears that some women are likely to decide to terminate the pregnancies in view of the expected stigma that could come with the birth of the babies. ‘’It won’t be surprising if some families seek abortion on their own knowing the expected stigma on those children, which cannot be watered down, or if they feel the government will leave them in the lurch,’’ she regretted.
Recovery of life after captivity
Consequently, she cautioned: ‘’’ A lot is at stake and so government’s response and actions must start now. They have to meet with the families and share their views and plans with them. The families need assurances and attention. Yes, the girls have been rescued, but the real work is their recovery and the life after captivity. I believe the government think-tank on this issue should get to work immediately and get relevant professionals involved from the word ‘go.’’’
Also speaking, Mrs. Itoro Eze-Anaba, founder Mirabel Centre, told VF that nobody is in a position to suggest whether they should abort or not. Eze-Anaba, whose foundation was set up to provide rehabilitation for rape victims and abused women, said: ‘’The best option now is for the girls to receive psychosocial support and trauma counseling.
Such counseling should be done by a licensed or trained trauma counselor’’ because ‘’they are probably depressed as a result of their experience. Some may have developed feelings for the people they lived with and may be in a state of confusion on what to do next, whether to keep the pregnancy or not.’’
She continued: ‘When we have a pregnant client at the Centre whether a minor or adult, we explain to them the options available to them and leave the decision to the individual. I do not believe that any child is created to be violent. No child is born violent. We learn to be violent through our socialization process and the environment we grow up in. A child who grows up and is nurtured and trained to love and embrace peace with the ability to stand up for himself and herself will be peaceful irrespective of paternity.’’
The onus is on government
However, since the matter now requires a decision between equally undesirable alternatives, many want a way out. In the light of that, Hector-Fawobaje told VF that, ‘’government must be ready to provide financially for these girls and their families for the next few years’’ because ‘’it would be a great injustice to abandon them at this time.
Government should also ensure reputable psychologists are at hand to help these girls and even those not pregnant for the next few years and they must undergo appropriate therapies starting from now. The trauma they have been through is obviously indescribable. ‘’Even the families need counseling on how to help the girls. It is not going to be an easy ride, but the psychosocial support they get will make a big difference in their road to recovery.
Their personality, family and social support and above all professional counseling will determine their recovery.’ ‘’I believe the onus is on the government to take care of these girls till they become young adults. It is not too much for the government to build a special unit in an existing orphanage for those babies and ensure they are enrolled in schools at the appropriate time. This way, they won’t be easily radicalized.’’
Pregnancies conceived through rape
The Borno State governor also has the same opinion. ‘’I expect our security agencies to establish the paternity of all children recovered from interactions with the victims and other forms of investigation. My major concern is how we, as stakeholders from the Federal and state governments, will manage women that might be affected. I am seriously worried with the fact that most women tend to hate and abandon children they deliver from rape.
‘’Now, the problem is that these children could go to the streets unattended to; they then lack access to food, healthcare and education. The result is that they could indeed inherit their fathers’ trait somehow. We also don’t know whether the sect members would after putting a woman in the family way, identify them with particular communities and put a mechanism to monitor the children and whisk them away in future.’’
Chronology of Boko Haram abductions
On May 3, 2013, an elder statesman and former Petroleum Minister, Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno was kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The elder statesman spent many days in captivity before he was conditionally released by the sect who had already kidnapped many women and children.
On August 11, 2013, over 60 persons in Gaidamgari village of Bama Local Council of Borno state were killed by members of the sect in an attack in which many others sustained gunshot wounds. The insurgents did not stop at that, they whisked away many women and girls.
In a similar vein, the dreaded sect on April 14, 2014, abducted over 230 female students of Government Girls Secondary School, GGSS Chibok, who were then writing their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations SSCE/WASSC. The abduction drew local and international outcry which culminated in the “Bring back our girls” campaign by some civil society groups.
20 Fulani women abducted
On June 12, 2014, security sources alleged that Boko Haram terrorists asked for 40 cows from the husbands of 20 Fulani women, whom they abducted and held in captivity for about a week, as a condition for their release. The insurgents who picked up the women in Garkin Fulani, a nomad settlement near Chibok town on Thursday, June 5, 2014 allegedly tabled this condition to the husbands of the abducted women, although nothing positive came out of it.
The security source said many Fulani herdsmen had reported cases of abduction of their wives to the Divisional Police headquarters and outposts around Damboa and Kaga local councils of Borno State.
Miyetti Allah denies abduction of Fulani women
The Borno State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN however denied reports of such abductions. In an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, Chairman of MACBAN in Borno State, Alhaji Amadu Musa said the reported abduction of over 30 Fulani women was not true. “We need to tell the world that there is nothing like that. All our women and girls are intact. It took us this long to respond because we made series of consultations to avoid issuing conflicting statements that will generate tension,” he said.
Over 60 killed in Bama Village, many women abducted
No fewer than 60 persons were in early June, 2014, killed in Gaidamgari village of Bama Local Council of Borno state. Many others including women and girls were abducted when some gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram attacked the community In a related development, no fewer than 68 women were abducted from three villages around Sambisa forest of Borno state by Boko Haram gunmen in mid June, 2014. Unconfirmed reports however claimed that 63 of the 68 escaped captivity and reunited with their families.
On August 6, 2014, about 50 Boko Haram members and over 30 soldiers were feared killed in an encounter around Pilka, Kirawa and Gwoza communities of Borno state. The attack also led to the abduction of hundreds of women/girls and children after the missing of over 40 policemen at the Mobile Training Unit in Limankara village of Gwoza.
Barely 24 hours after the capture of Bama town by Boko Haram terrorists on September 2, 2014, four gunmen using Toyota Hilux vehicles and motorcycles attacked the border town of Banki and Cameroon Republic and shot dead unconfirmed number of residents. Many women and children were abducted in the process while others fled to Cameroon. Another set of abductions involving about 40 youths took place when the Boko Haram terrorists stormed Malari village of Damboa local council of Borno state on December 31, 2014. A resident of the area, Mallam Bulama who fled to Maiduguri, said the incident occurred at about 8:00 pm.
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