Borno gov’t laments rising prostitution among former Boko Haram captives

The Borno State government has expressed concerns over the growing cases of prostitution among former Boko Haram captives.

It warned that the disturbing trend posed serious social challenges for the state.

The State Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Lawan Wakilbe lamented that some of the freed victims were exposed to sexual exploitation due to their vulnerability during captivity by the terrorists.

The commissioner noted that prostitution was especially prevalent in the local government areas of Bama, Banki, and Gwoza.

He shared a distressing encounter with an 11-year-old girl surrounded by three other children, which he described as heartbreaking.

He also said that Cameroonian authorities had recently repatriated young girls aged 13 to 15 who had multiple children.

Wakilbe stressed the urgent need for reintegration and support for these vulnerable individuals, adding that the widespread sexual abuse could be attributed to poverty and the lack of viable survival alternatives.

The commissioner’s statement comes amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Borno, where over 276 girls were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014. Since then, some of the girls have been freed.

The Boko Haram insurgency has claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people in Nigeria’s northeastern region and displaced over two million individuals since 2009.