May 7 , 2015 The women and children rescued from Boko Haram have begun to tell their stories, especially relating their various means for survival in the camp, and recounting their rescue experiences.
Asama Umoru said
“When the military jet went past, we heard shots. The Boko Haram fighters said we should stand in front of them as human shield, we refused, then we started hearing bullets flying around, then they ran off and left us alone. Then the soldiers came but they didn’t realise in time that we were not the enemies, some of us started praying and shouting that we are women and children but some of us were run over by their trucks. When they stopped, they asked us to gather in one place. They called their men to come and take us away from the forest, then they went after the Boko Haram fighters,”
“I kept a secret radio in Sambisa. I would go hide in the corner of the forest at night and listen to the news with few of my friends and we heard that the soldiers were recapturing the towns from Boko Haram. We were praying day and night for them to come save us and if we die in Sambisa then Allah bless our souls,”
The Nigerian Emergency Management Association NEMA has been carrying out health checks on the rescued people, many of whom were injured and malnourished.
Nigeria’s military is on the offensive against Boko Haram. It has said that landmines are making it difficult to carry out a final push to clear them from their forest hideouts
