Shettima Says Boko Haram Deliberately Impregnated Women
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state today, May 4, 2015, alleged that Boko Haram insurgents deliberately impregnated the recently rescued abducted victims of the Islamist sect.
About 214 victims of the Boko Haram sect rescued by the Nigerian army from Sambisa forest last week were said on Sunday to be pregnant after they underwent medical examination.
Speaking on Monday during a meeting about the freed abductees, Shettima said that the terrorists had raped and impregnated women to ensure that there would be the next generation of jihadists.
According to Sahara Reporters, the governor advocated for special program aimed at helping the traumatized women to recover.
The Borno state politician lamented that Boko Haram insurgents believed they could "confiscate" any wife or property from someone who does not share their interpretation of Islam.
The Punch quoted him as saying:
"These people (Boko Haram) have a certain spiritual conviction that any child they father will grow to inherit their ideology whether they live with the children or not. They also believe that whoever does not hold their ideology is an unbeliever that should be killed and rendered homeless and whatever belongs to him or her becomes a legitimate booty recovered from enemies.
"This booty includes women that are then allocated to ranking leaders of the sect as sex slaves. The sect leaders make very conscious effort to impregnate the women. Some of them, I was told, even pray before mating, offering supplications for God to make the products of what they are about doing become children that will inherit their ideology.
"After getting their captives pregnant, they keep them to allow the pregnancy mature to an extent of say four or more months to make abortion difficult or impossible for the women due to threats in carrying out abortions at that level. They abandon the women afterwards to go and give birth anywhere else.
"In most cases, the women return home or get helped by traditional birth attendants. I wouldn’t be surprise if in some cases, some of the women deliver in captivity and the children grow to four or five years since the sect has been operating for years. Perhaps the Sambisa camps might have been in existence since 2009 or afterwards."
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He added:"Children fathered by them [Boko Haram] are likely to share their ideology later in life and succeed their parents in the years to come."
Governor Shettima expressed joy over the rescue of the victims, without hiding, however, concern about the insurgents' future moves.
"I am happy with the recovery of hundreds of women and children, it is a thing of joy that they have been freed alive. However, I also very worried about what the future holds for us if what I have gathered about these insurgents works according to their plan."
Shettima said he was worried that "sect members would, after putting a woman in the family way, identify them with particular communities to monitor the children and whisk them away in future".
Meanwhile, in the course of the fight against the dreaded sect the Nigerian security have reportedly detained a man who allegedly specialises in supplying fuel and food to Boko Haram. Arrested on Sunday, the suspect is currently undergoing interrogation.
Source: Legit.ng
