ABUJA, Nigeria — Reports from early September showed Boko Haram was seizing control of the Borno state, making its way the state capital, Maiduguri. While on its path of destruction, many were killed and others fled from the extremists, including Nigerian soldiers and their families. Thoughts of the Nigerian school girls have faded and fears of the Islamic group overtaking the entire country have grown.
As daunting as it seems, small victories have been won against the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram in recent weeks.
Nigerian School Girl Released
Near the town of Mubi in the Adamawa state in Nigeria, a traumatized and unstable twenty-year-old girl, a victim of the “Chibok girls” kidnapping, was found in late September.
The girl, who remains unnamed, is believed to have either been released or escaped from her extremist captors. It is said that the terrorist group takes the unwanted girls to “the bush” and leaves them there if they are considered too sick or a liability.
This small victory is magnified after fears of unconfirmed rapes, forced conversions to Islam and most recently, a string of forced suicide bombings.
In late July, four girls all 18 or under, arrived in public places such as a mall and college campus with the mission to detonate a bomb, knowing it will not only kill herself, but those around her.
Although it’s not confirmed, the bombings are believed to have been performed by the kidnapped girls, forced into action by Boko Haram.
With the release of the girl, there is hope of discovering more information about the location of the girls and a recovery mission to save the girls without harm or injury inflicted upon them.
Surrender of Boko Haram Militants
The Nigerian military released news that more than 260 Islamic militants have surrendered in north-eastern Nigeria.
135 militants conceded in Biu in the Borno state, and 133 other militants backed down somewhere in north-eastern Nigeria.
Though unconfirmed, there have been further reports of Nigerian troops slowly stripping the Boko Haram stronghold in the north of Nigeria.
Though these victories are small, they give hope that in the near future, Boko Haram will be defeated, and we will bring back our girls.
– Kori Withers
Sources: Los Angeles Times, NBC, Toronto Star, BBC, Daily Post Nigeria
Photo: Flickr