A 14 year old female suspected suicide bomber says Boko Haram leaders
chose her to detonate an Improvised Explosive Device in Maiduguri
because she refused to get married to their members in Sambisa Forest.
The suspect is among three suspects arrested by the military when they
allegedly came for a suicide mission at a military facility in Jakana in
Maiduguri.
According to the facts gathered by Eyes Of Lagos, we confirmed that the suspect told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Sunday
that she was sent on the mission to detonate the device because she
refused marriage proposals from three Boko Haram terrorists.
The suspect said she was abducted with her father, Usman, by Boko Haram insurgents in Gwoza, Borno, in 2013.
She said she and her father were running to Mandara Mountain for safety when they were abducted.
The suspect said she and her father wanted to travel to Madagali in
Adamawa where he normally sold cows before Boko Haram insurgents
attacked Gwoza.
“I have spent three years in the hands of Boko Haram. Three different
Boko Haram (terrorists) had proposed to marry me and I refused. Two
among them were commanders (amir).
” When I refused for the third time, one of the commanders became
furious and threatened to kill me and my father. I told him I would
rather die than marry a Boko Haram (terrorist).
“So, after one week, they said since I have refused to get married, I
should be taken to Maiduguri for a suicide mission. So, three of them
held my hands and they injected me.
” Then, I never knew what was happening again.
‘’I was taken to a herbalist, who, after I regained consciousness, told me that I had been with him for 30 days.
“He told me he was preparing me for a mission. So he gave me some water
to drink. I don’t know what it tasted like but I drank it. So, he said
they would come and pick me today.
” At about 7p.m. three Boko Haram (members) came with a male and a female. They were also recruited for the mission like me.
“We spent one and a half days on the road to Maiduguri. It was when we
got to Maiduguri that they strapped the bombs on our bodies. At that
moment I knew that I was going to die, so I started crying.
” I was watching when the first bomber, a female, detonated her
explosive close to a military checkpoint which killed no one but
herself. The second, a male, was killed by the military before he could
detonate his.
“At that time something told me to remove my own IED and surrender which
I did. I was surrounded by soldiers and policemen and I fainted.
” When I woke, I discovered that one of the policemen at the checkpoint
was a brother of my mother’s. I think that was the reason I survived,’’
the suspect said.
Meanwhile, Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Theatre Commander of Operation
Lafiya Dole, said the suspects were being de-radicalised at the military
detention facility.
“We have quite a number of them here in our facility. We have been profiling them and making them feel comfortable.
“So far, from their testimonies, they usually tell us that they were
brainwashed by some sort of charms to commit suicide,” Irabor said.
