Girls rescued from the Hands of Boko Haram get unexpectedly hostile homecoming

It was the hashtag that turned the spotlight on the crisis of Nigerian girls and women being abducted by
Boko Haram: #BringBackOurGirls .
But now that government and
humanitarian efforts are resulting in some women being rescued from
the Islamic militant group and
returned to their homes, it seems not all Nigerians are welcoming them with open arms.
According to a joint report released Tuesday by UNICEF and human rights group International Alert,
many women and teen girls who were once held by Boko Haram are being rejected by their families and communities. People treat the
former captives with mistrust over fears the women have become radicalized supporters of the extremists. But the suspicious
behavior of family members tends to become explicit persecution if the former captives bore children after
being sexually assaulted by
members of Boko Haram.
The babies may be innocent, but they are seen by locals as being infected with “bad blood” from their
rapist Boko Haram fathers,
according to the report.
“There is a belief that, like
their fathers, the children
will inevitably do what
hyenas do and ‘eat’ the
innocent dogs around them,”
wrote the report’s authors.
Rejected by their families and
neighbors, many of the women and their children are being pushed into poverty. To avoid homelessness and
to provide for their babies, some are turning to prostitution to earn
money. As a result, the children themselves are “at risk of rejection,
abandonment, discrimination, and potential violence,” wrote the report’s authors.
“These findings show a
pressing need to do more to
reintegrate those returning
from captivity by Boko
Haram,” Kimairis Toogood,
International Alert’s peace-
building adviser in Nigeria,
said in a statement. “Many of
these girls already face
lasting trauma of sexual
violence and being separated
from their families, so we
must ensure they get all the
support they need when they
finally return.”
Approximately 2,000 women and girls have been abducted since 2012. Despite the campaign in raising awareness, the nearly 300
abducted schoolgirls still haven’t been returned home.
As for those girls and women who have been rescued, only to face a hostile homecoming, International
Alert and UNICEF said more
humanitarian assistance for them is needed.
“There is a fear that if the
needs of these survivors and
returning populations are not
met, these factors could add
another dimension to an
already complex conflict
situation in northeast
Nigeria,” said Toogood.