Why I Decided To Keep Boko Haram Baby – Pregnant Victim

Soon after hundreds of girls were rescued from Boko Haram captivity earlier this year, a question was raised in the Nigerian society: “Should the girls impregnated by insurgents abort the children?”

Nigerians expressed different points of view on the situation. Many insisted that those pregnancies were unwanted and thus should not be kept. The others, however, said that every life is sacred and babies were innocent.

Here is a story of a 16-year-old Boko Haram victim who decided to keep the pregnancy despite threats by members of her community.

Um Haleema (not real name), narrated about her months in captivity, when she was forced to watch men, women and children slaughtered, forced into marriage and not only. She finally managed to escape, which she disclosed during the interview with CNN.

“I had planned my escape from the beginning. There was a time my husband spent two weeks away, so I attempted to escape but guards returned me and beat me.”

When Haleema regained freedom, she arrived home to discover that her father had been killed and that she had been pregnant.

“People in this village are rejecting me because of the pregnancy. Some will be happy to have me dead. Many people are even saying that I should go for an abortion.”

The locals even threatened to kill Hallema and her baby unless she gets read of it, the teenage girl said.

READ ALSO: Teenage Girl Dies While Aborting 5-Month Pregnancy. Lover Arrested

Speaking on the issue, her mother expressed confidence that abortion is not an option.

“We heard about one girl who died after she attempted an abortion, losing both the mother and the baby. The girl was the only child to her mother, so that scared us. If God wishes, she will give birth safely. Life is in the hands of God alone.”

The community residents denied threatening Haleema. Still, a vigilante said that his group did not believe that the girl had been forced into marriage.

“I am not aware of any woman in this village who was impregnated by them. If any woman is found to be pregnant, in our tradition, the pregnancy is considered Haram (unlawful), hence we cannot accept them wholeheartedly because they can be like baby snakes.”

On May 17 a women’s group issued a statement in which it highly criticized those pressurizing the raped women into taking one or another decision. The activists insisted that nobody has the right to judge female victims and decide for them.

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