Women struggle for survival in killing aftermath

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May 9, 2016 9:23 AM

Mrs. Kwaramba Bitrus is among hundreds of women in the Nigeria’s North Eastern communities that left their homes empty handed when Boko Haram terrorists struck, killing their loved ones.

Mrs. Kwaramba Bitrus who lost five children and husband to Boko Haram struggling for survival through her beans cake business in Mubi town.

She returned back to the same Michika community empty handed after a stay at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, struggling for survival without a husband and five children killed by Boko Haram insurgents.

Kwaramba, a mother of seven, lost five to Boko Haram insurgents. Her husband is still missing following an onslaught by Boko Haram insurgents who have waged over seven years war against the Nigerian State in order to establish an Islamic caliphate.

“I have resorted to frying yam and beans cake (akara),” Kwaramba said with tears in her eyes.

"I went out of the community empty handed and returned empty handed. I met an empty house. My five children who were in higher institutions were killed and my husband is nowhere to be found, I can't say he is still alive or dead only God knows," Kwaramba told Pulse.

She was into beams cake business before the Boko Haram insurgents send them out of the community. “The business was booming unlike now that everyone complains about serious economic hardship,” she said.

Kwaramba tales pictured the agony faced by several women displaced in Michika communities of Adamawa state which have about 26 chiefdoms and 84 villages around the mountainous caves sharing boundary with Cameroon.

Houses, banks, colleges and many places of worship were destroyed by the Boko Haram members with approximately 370,000 people displaced.

At a nearby village of Mona in Michika, Laraba Emmanuel said they are starting life all over again.

“I just thank God that I survived. I just thank God that I returned alive. We are farmers, we just want the peace to continue so that we can farm in this raining season,” Laraba said.

“We need serious support from this government, especially our governor who did not visit us since our return. Let them come and see how we are doing. We are in a pathetic situation". Laraba added.

Mrs Delilah Joseph who ran away from Borno IDP camp because of attacks by insurgents, found herself in Madagali.

Madagali was not the better safe place she yearned for. An indigene of Gwoza, in Borno State, who ran to Michika, said she saw hell on earth when Boko Haram members overrun Michika communities in Adamawa State.

“My husband and two of my grown up children were slaughtered in my very eyes like chickens just because they refused to join Boko Haram,” Delilah said.

"When Boko Haram over ran Gwaoza, my husband, myself and my two grown up children were cornered on our way to mountains to hide. We were blocked along the way by the insurgents shouting Allahukbar. ”

“The insurgents asked them to convert to Islam or they will be slaughtered and they refused. The insurgents who know us very well, slaughtered my husband and the children,” she said.

"After slaughtering them like rams in my own very eyes, they took me away saying that I will be their cook. The Boko Hram members I saw were into hard drugs. They were into narcotics. After they took their nicotine and slept off, I ran out to Madagali and from Madagali to Michika,” Delilah added.

Delilah said she lost all that her life depended on adding that she won’t go back to Gwaoza but will remain in Michika till death.

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