Journal of Information and Computational Science ISSN: 1548-7741

FEMALES IN A CIRCLE OF VIOLENCE IN NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA

Sule Isah Kazaure1and P. Durga Rao2

1Research Scholar Department of Sociology, School of Humanities Lovely Professional University, Phagwara-144411, Punjab, India. Email: [email protected] 2Associate Professor Department of Sociology, School of Humanities Lovely Professional University, Phagwara-144411, Punjab, India. Email: [email protected] Abstract:

Women and girls experienced human right violation both at the hands of the sect and the security agents since the emergence of terrorist group of Nigeria in northeastern region.Violation of human rights among the security personals has been a common phenomenon. It is on this background, this paper intends to explore how Boko Haram abducted females and their deployment as suicide bombers. The paper deployed secondary data and content analysis to arrive at this junction.The present paper further discusses on the mode of recruitment and cases of sexual harassment particularly among the security agents in the Internally Displaced Persons camps. It also addresses the consequences faced by the survivors in their respective communities.

Keywords: Girls, Kidnapping, Rape, , Women,

1. Introduction

Females in the Northeastern region of Nigeria found themselves in a circle of violence as a result of the Boko Haram (BH) terrorist group activities. According to United Nations Human Rights (UNHR, 2019), females in the Northeastern region of Nigeria are increasingly becoming vulnerable to rape, kidnapping, suicide bombers and other violence. Findings reveal that two third of females in the region have experienced gender-based violence since the emergence of BH terrorists. Increasing rate of rape in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps is alarming. Women and girls that suffered from the BH insurgency experienced rampant rape at the hands of security agents particularly in the IDPs camps. The Amnesty International (2006) stresses that rape cases by security agents was common and the perpetrators go unpunished. However, since the adaptation suicide tactics by BH insurgents, females were being used as objects of killing. The first female suicide bombing occurred in June, 2014 at the 301 Battalion Barracks, Gombe State which killed both the girl and some soldiers (Omilusi, 2015). In a report by Global

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Journal of Information and Computational Science ISSN: 1548-7741

Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) cited United Nation (UN) and UNICEF that found that in the first quarter of 2017 twenty-seven women and girls were employed as suicide bombers (GCPEA, 2018). Tossoukpe (2019) found that between 2011 and 2017 BH deployed 244 female for suicide attacks. The higher number of females being used for suicide mission by BH ranked the group number one in deploying of female suicide killers as against male counterpart in the world. On the basis of this background, this paper explores how females suffered by been abducted by BH members and their employment as suicide bombers as well as the mode of recruitment deployed. The paper further discusses how women and girls were subjected for sexual harassment at the hand security agents. The present paper is developed on the bases of secondary source data and content analysis.

2. Abduction of Females by Boko Haram The abduction of females especially from school manifests one of the Boko Haram ideologies of dismantling Western education in the country as stresses by the sect‟s leader, Abubakar Shekau in a video clip after school girls abduction declares, “I abducted your girls at Western education school…I said Western education should end…Western education should fold up. I will sell them in the market……” (Vanguard Newspaper, May 6, 2014, p.5). Boko Haram terrorist group is famous in abduction and far-reaching use of female suicide attacks (Global Terrorism Index, 2018). The abduction of about 300 female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014 was first of its kind and some of them reportedly were taken to Chad, Cameroon and Sudan (Zenn, 2014, p.1 and Daily Trust Newspaper, April 16, 2014, p.5) and this marks the rise of female suicide attacks within four months after the kidnapping (Omilusi, 2015b, p.64). For example, an arrested girl in 2016 confessed before the security personals as one among over 300 kidnapped Chibok girls (GCPEA, 2018b).

Another mass kidnapping was followed with abduction of 110 female students of Government Girls‟ Science Technical College in Yobe State (Adepelumi, (2018). Abatan (2018) argues that abduction of females by the sect was another strategy of having sufficient women and attracts males to join the sect and get free marriage. BH was responsible of destroying of over 1,200 schools and coerced over 19,000 teachers to cease teaching since 2009. The sect killed over 1,000 children in various schools attacks (Adepelumi, 2018b, Pp. 36-37).

2.1 Why Boko HaramUses Female for Suicide Attacks

Suicide attacks are lethal practice typically executed by fanatic group. Suicide terrorism seems to be arising globally. Females have being involved in the act of terrorism for a century either as leaders or architects (Omilusi, 2015c, p. 63). More often, employing of suicide attack is depending on the capability and willingness of the group to deploy it (Horowitz, 2015, p.75). Nevertheless, some scholars object that suicide attack is used when there is probably less victory compared to other tactics (Ibid, p.76).The first female suicide attack was executed on the military barrack, Gombe State in June, 2014 till now BH surpasses all terrorist groups in deploying female suicide attackers globally. From the commencement of this tactic to February, 2018, 469 suicide attacks were executed in Volume 13 Issue 10 – 2020 www.joics.net 42

Journal of Information and Computational Science ISSN: 1548-7741

240 cases that killed 1,200 people (Pearson, 2018, p.33). Moreover, within this period, female suicide attacks carried out by BH was more than that of Black Widow of Chechen rebels; Hamas; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eel am (LTTE); Palestine Islamic (PIJ); al-Qaeda of Iraq and Kurdistan Workers‟ Party combined (Ibid, p.34). Between April 2011 and June, 2017, the sect executed 434 suicide attacks in which 244 were carried out by women and girls. For instance, in 2016, women and girls involved in four out of five suicide attacks (Global Terrorism Index, 2018b).

Embarking of female in suicide bombing by BH would not be unrelated with the almost a general perception of both members community and security personnel that females are less involved in criminal activities and a common perception that men often partake in suicide attacks and other criminal offences. Consequently, females are less attracted for thoroughly searching by the security personnel. Moreover, Muslim women and girls usually used hijab (a well-covered after dress cloth) which can serve as a cover to hide of bombs (Pricopi, 2016, p.42) For example a suicide bomber detonated bomb at Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger in the examination hall was wearing hijab as buttressed by a student “I saw the bomber wearing a hijab and running towards the auditorium then the bomb exploded and killed her” (This day Newspaper, November 13, 2014, p.1). Moreover, both culturally and religiously in the region prohibit female to be frisked by a man. And that security checkpoints are managed by men in the region. Pricopi (2016b, p.41) argued that the rationale behind use of females by BH was based on its effectiveness and attraction of greater media attention since women are perceived as weak while combat roles and lethal attacks considered as roles of men. Another finding disclosed that engagement of female suicide bombers was because of their cheap labour compared with males particularly those of higher status are regarded more valuable and saved from involving into suicide bombings. Nevertheless, most often females of economically disadvantaged families were given money to voluntarily sacrifice themselves for the mission. The finding further states that female bombers more often target schools, markets and motor parks while their males counterpart target religion places and governmental institutions (Warner and Matfess, 2017, p. 29). A compiled report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and African Development Bank (AfDB) positioned Nigeria number 157 out of 189 nations with low human development. In addition, the country has the higher level of gender inequality particularly in the Northern eastern region. Women that joined the sect are higher among the marginalized segment of the society (Tossoukpe, 2019b, p.7). This manifested on the negative impacts on women in the socio-economic and political spheres of the society due to religion and cultural factors impacts motivation to befall suicide attackers. Therefore, it can be deduced that BH has taken advantage of the poor economic status of the women for easy recruitment and enlisting for suicide bombing. Deploying of females particularly girls has become a modus of operandi of the sect in which four out of five suicide attacks carried out by BH were females (UNICEF, 2017).

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Journal of Information and Computational Science ISSN: 1548-7741

2.2 Mode of Recruitment of Female Suicide Bombers

Boko Haram took advantage of the kidnapped females and tactic fully applied some strategies of recruitment for the mission. Tossoukpe (2019c) finds that between 2011 and 2017BH trained more than 434 suicide bombers in which 244 were females. He further states that females who denied to marry members of the sect decided to partake in suicide bombing other than facing mortification from the aggrieved sect‟ members. Although, women who willingly joined the sect and married to BH members have higher status and privileges than those kidnapped and forced to marry BH members. Abducted women were asked to marry members of the sect or become “saves”. Some women who escaped from the insurgents disclosed that those who resisted marrying BH members were separated from the group for harsh labour and starvation (ibid, Pp.32-33 and The Mainichi, 2018). In line with this, Onuoha and George (2015) recognized methods that follow of engaging female bombers by BH: (a) It is assumed that females of the late BH members were made to believe that taking revenge to those who engineered the killing of their husbands and parents stands as martyrdom (b) That females suicide attackers were sourced, taught and brainwashed for the act (c) It is further suspected that the kidnapped girls of secondary school, Chibok are been coerced as suicide bombers. In line with this, a report by (UNICEF, 2017b) buttresses that some women resolved to involve among suicide bombers and die as martyrs as a result of their inability or lost confidence of meeting with their family members.

Akin to other terrorist groups, there are two types of BH suicide bombers like other terrorist groups: (a) suicide bombers who willingly sacrifice themselves for the attacks. This group entailed wives of the late sect‟s members; their daughters and those who have been brainwashed that would be in paradise hereafter. (b) The unwilling group involved those who were forced to partake in the acts. For instance, a girl teenager was arrested in Kano, Nigeria in December, 2014 who confessed before the security personnel that she was given out to BH by her biological father as a prospective suicide attacker. She said:

“I was not moved by the soul searching preaching of bounties in the heaven and it was at this point, their leader resorted to threat and intimidation to obtain my consent. We were shown a deep hole where the leader of the group threatened to bury us alive at a point if any of us refused to play along, and at another time he picked a big gun and threatened to shoot anyone who fails to obey his command” (Onuoha and George, 2015b, p.7).

2.3 Cases of Sexual Violence

Women and girls found themselves in a circle of sexual violence in the Northeastern region. The United Nations estimates that over 7,000 women and girls had experienced sexual harassment at the hands of BH after abduction. Some rescued kidnapped women and girls disclosed before the security agents that the young ones among them were given to the leaders while the elderly ones were left for other members who raped routinely. A victim stresses that: “Over fifteen men used every day until I become worthless to them due to the sore injuries. I sustained as a

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Journal of Information and Computational Science ISSN: 1548-7741 result of sex I was forced to have” (Leadership Newspaper, March 9, 2014, p. 69). In most cases women and girls who escaped or rescued by the security agents from the hands of the militants had experienced further sexual violence at the hand of security agents who are expected to protect them. Raping has become a common phenomenon being carried out by the security agents especially in the IDPs camps. An 18-year girl stresses that“ once they identified you as a girl they wanted to have sex with, they would hardly leave you alone a single day,” (The New York Time – Africa, December 8, 2017). For instance, a servicing military Lieutenant was convicted for raping a 14-year girl in Bakassi IDPs camp when she was out to collect firewood (UNHR, 2019b). Security agents use their power by subjecting women and girls to assault and sexual harassment at various checkpoints particularly in the night. The abductees by the BH have being used for domestic services such as cooking, cleaning and other harsh labour (Nwokedi, 2017, p.3). In concur with the above statements, Russo (2017, p.1) reports that the abductees by the sect have been subjected to sexual violence, forced marriage, suicide bombing and labour. Persistence of this social menace is in contrast with the pledge made by the Nigeria government in addressing rampant cases of rape in various IDPs camps which spells: “these very distressing reports will not be taken lightly.” In response to overcome this social menace, 100 female security officers were trained and deployed to various IDPs camps. The Nigerian government has moved to declare zero tolerance on incessant rape cases in the country and promised to establish special court for speedy trial of rapists (This day Newspaper, June 19, 2020, p.36 and Leadership Newspaper, June 19, 2020, p.2).

The security agents tacticfully separated men and women particularly in the IDPs camps or those on return to their homes after been dispersed by BH in during their raids. Men were mostly detained in congested prisons after thoroughly searching and stayed there for months or years without committing any wrongdoing. This separation accounted for higher number of women, old and children in various IDPs camps amounted to more than 70 per cent of the entire IDPs in the Northeastern region. The security officials attacked women and girls in the bush while searching firewood and fetching water and request for sex. Those who denied were beaten and labeled as wives of BH and took them to detention centers (Amnesty, 2018).

Women and girls were forced to engage for friendship relations with security agents that pathway for sex. They entered into the unwilling friendship relationship in order to acquire food, freedom of movement (in and out camp) and other basic necessities provided in the camps for survival. Any act of refusal will result to rape. A victim disclosed before UNHCR “the soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) give them food and return in the late evening for sex, and if you resist, they will rape you”. More often, members of the CJTF choose most beautiful women and girls for the soldiers for sex (UNHCR, 2018). The increase rate of sexual violence in the north eastern region (hotbed of BH) gave birth for a collective motion by the Honourable Speakers of the region in the House of Assembly for the passage and assent of Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) aiming at overcoming of this social menace (Leadership Newspaper, July 29, 2020, p.4).

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2.4 Social Consequences of the Victimized Women and Girls

Women and girls who returned to their respective communities are being traumatized, stigmatized and other social discrimination by members of their respective communities which in turns serves as barrier for reintegration. Women and girls who were forced to marry the insurgents were labeled as “wives of Boko Haram”. The widow and girls hardly get married. Those delivered either in the IDPs camps or from Sambisa (BH hideout bush) are perceived as irresponsible for bearing a child out of wedlock (Russo, 2017b, p.2). The children whose existence originates from the sexual violence have been tagged “bad blood” or “children of the foe”, and those returned with pregnant are coerced to either choose their babies or their families (UN Security Council, 2018, p.5). The returnees are not considered as victims of terrorism rather affiliates.

3. Conclusion

Women and girls who largely occupied the IDPs camps have being suffered both at the hand of the insurgents and security agents. They have been coerced to engage in friendship relationships or forced marriage with military and members CJTF which pathway for sexual harassment. Any act resistance to that attracts beating and accused as wives of insurgents. Boko Haram tacticfully recruited women and girls for suicide bombing who were predominantly abducted school girls. The partaking of females in suicide attack involved willing ones who were indoctrinated and accept to die as martyrs and the unwilling entails those who were forced for the act. Those who were rescued or sneaked to escape encounter difficulty of reintegration with their communities.

4. Recommendations The government should address the factors behind Boko Haram existence particularly in the Northeastern region which include: poverty, illiteracy, porous borders, rigging in elections among others. There is need to recruit more security agents and train the existence ones particularly in counterterrorism and purchase of sophisticated weapons and machineries. More females should be recruited in security for thorough checking of females especially at the checking points since it is prohibited for men to check females on religion and cultural ground. Violation of human rights by security agents should be addressed and any culprit should be severely punished. Provocative preaches should be addressed in order to tackle religion extremism. Communities should be well mobilized in providing vital information to security agents in other to be proactive.

References

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[3] M. Omilusi, Weaker Sex‟ As Aggressor: Suicide Bombingsand Strategic Logic of Gender Mainstreaming in Nigeria‟s Boko Haram Terrorism, Global Journal of Political Science and Administration 3(5), 2015, 59-74.

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Children caught in the Lake Chad Crisis, 2017. Accessed October 11, 2019 https://news.un.org/en/story/2017/04/555222-alarming-rise-use-children-suicide-attacks-boko-haram-lake- chad-region-unicef

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