They even came to the market to buy things without harming anyone, so we believed we could coexist with them.
I DESTROYED LIVES AS A BOKO HARAM MEMBER
I hope that one day, those I wronged will see that I am no longer the man I used to be.
I JOINED BOKO HARAM. I DIDN’T HAVE A CHOICE.
We were given ₦20,000 and a bag of rice, with promises of ongoing support that unfortunately didn’t materialise.
BORN IN A BOKO HARAM CAMP
Some parents told their children to stay away, as if I carried a curse. At school, I sat alone. At home, I heard the whispers.
LIFE AFTER RESCUE FROM SAMBISA IS HARDER
The daily struggle to survive and take care of my children now feels much harder. I feel like I’ve been abandoned and forgotten.
I WAS RAPED. I THOUGHT MY LIFE HAD ENDED.
What hurt most was being far away from my family, not knowing if they were alive or dead.
PEOPLE CALLED ME ‘BOKO HARAM DAUGHTER’
People whispered about me. Some mothers warned their children not to come near me. In their eyes, I was no longer just Amina.
WE SURVIVED ON LEAVES AND GRASSES
Boko Haram attacked Maiduguri communities, which led to the closure of some schools, including mine.
WOMEN WERE NOT ALLOWED TO GO OUT
I was flogged and punished several times because I was out looking for what my father and I would eat.
WE WATCHED AS THEY EXECUTED PEOPLE
I saw many girls being forced into marriages, and some were even sold as slaves.