An insight by one of the women freed by soldiers from Boko Haram’s captivity has revealed how the extremists trained and prepared women and girls as suicide bombers.
One of the freed women, Meriam, 36, who opened up on her harrowing experience while in the terrorists’ enclave, narrated how she was imprisoned with dozens of other women including some, who were being trained as suicide bombers.
According to Meriam, who had just arrived at one of the internally displaced persons’ camp in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the suicide bomber after being brainwashed, will be assured of Allah’s forgiveness after death.
She told the New York Times: “The Boko Haram would recite the prayer for the dead, then they would put on the hijab (veil for women)” covering the suicide belt.
After they had prepared, “They said, ‘God will forgive us’”, she said. “Then, they would enter the vehicles, and they would send the women away”.
She also confirmed seeing few of the Chibok village girls at the hospital in Gwoza, and said that the Boko Haram appeared to give them a special status.
