Most abducted girls freed by Boko Haram are now prostitutes – Borno government cries out
The Governor Umar Babagana Zulum led Borno State government has expressed concern over the rising cases of prostitution among former Boko Haram captives, warning that the disturbing trend poses serious social challenges for the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Lawan Wakilbe queried that some of the freed Boko Haram victims were exposed to sexual exploitation due to their vulnerability during captivity by the terrorists.
The commissioner noted that prostitution is especially prevalent in the local government areas of Bama, Banki, and Gwoza.
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The commissioner explained a distressing encounter with an 11-year-old girl, surrounded by three other children, which he described as heartbreaking.
He also mentioned that Cameroonian authorities had recently repatriated young girls, aged 13 to 15, who had multiple children.
Wakilbe pointed out the urgent need for reintegration and support for these vulnerable individuals, adding that the widespread sexual abuse could be attributed to poverty and the lack of viable survival alternatives.
The commissioner’s statement is coming amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Borno, where over 276 girls were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014. Since then, some of the girls have been freed.
FCNN recalled that Boko Haram insurgency has claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people in Nigeria’s northeastern region and displaced over two million individuals since 2009.
