Survivors of Boko Haram and Military Abuses in Nigeria Left in the Lurch
‘Help us build our lives’: Girl survivors of Boko Haram and military abuses in north-east Nigeria, investigates how girls survived human trafficking and crimes against humanity by Boko Haram, including kidnapping, forced marriage, slavery, and sexual violence. After escaping from the captivity of Boko Haram, many were further abused in prolonged and unlawful Nigerian military detention, although this practice has become less widespread in recent years. Those who were not unlawfully detained were left to fend for themselves in displaced persons camps amidst millions of other people in need of humanitarian assistance. From there, some were “reunited” with their former Boko Haram “husbands” in a government-managed transit camp, exposing them to the risk of ongoing abuse.
“These girls, many of whom are now young women, have been deprived of their childhood and have suffered a litany of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations. They now show remarkable courage in their attempts to take their future into their own hands,” says Samira Daoud, regional director for West and Central Africa at Amnesty International.
The crimes endured by the girls and young women have had long-lasting consequences specific to their age and gender. These include health complications, access to education, the ability and desire to remarry, as well as stigmatization and rejection by their families and communities.
The report is based on 126 interviews, including 82 with survivors, conducted in-person and remotely between 2019 and 2024 in northeastern Nigeria. On April 4, Amnesty International wrote a letter to Nigerian federal and state authorities, as well as UN offices, outlining the key research findings. In response, the Nigerian military denied all allegations, stating that it respects human rights in its operations and referring to Amnesty International’s “sources,” primarily consisting of survivors, as “inherently unreliable.” UNICEF responded confidentially.
Kidnapping and Sexual Violence
Boko Haram abducted children on a large scale during attacks on the civilian population in northeastern Nigeria. At least eight girls witnessed Boko Haram killing their family members. CA*, who was abducted at the age of 13 in 2014, said: “One day, Boko Haram came into our house. They told our father that we are unbelievers. They shot my father in the back of his head, and the bullet came out through his eyes. We started crying. They said if we don’t be quiet, they will also kill my mother.”
After their abduction, most girls were forcibly married off. Child and forced marriages are common practices of Boko Haram, which generally considers girls “marriageable” from their early puberty or even before.
Girls were used in various ways as “wives,” including serving their “husbands” in sexual slavery and domestic slavery. At least 33 survivors of forced marriages told Amnesty International that their “husbands” raped them. HA* was a teenager when she “agreed” to a marriage to save her father from death. She told Amnesty International that she was beaten if she refused her “husband” and that he often raped her.
In total, 28 interviewees said they bore children from sexual violence, and at least 20 were children themselves when they gave birth.
Punishments and Suicide Attacks
All abductees were threatened with strict rules and very limited freedom of movement. Any real or alleged violation of these rules was punished with physical punishments and sometimes with prolonged confinement. Boko Haram publicly meted out punishments to instill fear and control. At least 31 interviewed girls were forced to witness forms of punishment, including floggings, amputations, and beheadings. GH*, now in her early 20s, spent about ten years in captivity. She was often forced to witness violent punishments and said: “Sometimes, I dream about the corpses I saw or the stoning of the women I saw. Once I open my eyes, I can’t go back to sleep.”
Boko Haram also used girls extensively as suicide bombers. Between mid-2014 and 2019, the majority of Boko Haram’s suicide bombers were women.
Violations in Unlawful Detention
Nearly 50 girls and young women told Amnesty International that they risked their lives and those of their children to successfully escape from Boko Haram. Many underwent harrowing journeys lasting up to 12 days, surviving on the little food and water they could find.
Some were “rescued” by the Nigerian military or members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a state-sponsored militia, who later unlawfully detained many of them. During the conflict, the Nigerian military arbitrarily held thousands of children for extended periods.
According to 31 girls and young women, they were unlawfully detained in military prisons for several days to nearly four years between 2015 and mid-2023, usually due to their real or alleged ties to Boko Haram. Some said soldiers insulted them, called them “Boko Haram women,” and accused them of being responsible for murders. Some described beatings or dire conditions in detention amounting to torture or other forms of abuse. NV* was about 20 when she escaped in 2021 after eight years of Boko Haram captivity. She was unlawfully held by the Nigerian military in Madagali, Adamawa State, for about two months. She said: “When they [soldiers] brought food… they gave us a portion in the hand and soup in one bowl for all of us to share…. As a toilet, they gave us a plastic bag.”
Many young women were held with their children. Two interviewees gave birth in government detention, while others witnessed children dying. Contrary to international human rights law, none of the interviewees had access to a lawyer or were charged with a criminal offense. BZ* was held as a teenager in Giwa Barracks, a notorious military detention facility in Maiduguri, from about 2017 to 2020. She said: “No one explained anything to us. They took us there, and no one told us anything.”
Since 2016, most people unlawfully held in Giwa Barracks were transferred to the Bulumkutu Interim Care Centre (BICC), where they had access to certain services.
‘We need support’: Rebuilding Life after Boko Haram
Many interviewees were reunited with their families by the government and partner organizations. They are all now in overcrowded camps for internally displaced persons or communities in Borno and Adamawa states. Interviewees expected and asked for specialized government support but instead felt neglected.
AV* returned from Boko Haram captivity in 2021 at the age of about 15 and now lives in Madagali, Adamawa State. She said: “Most people in [the] government do not care about us. We need support.”
While the stigma of being a “Boko Haram woman” remains a barrier to reintegration for girls and young women, the situation has improved in recent years. Many interviewees said community members insulted them, looked at them suspiciously, and were afraid they would kill them or infect them with diseases.
ZC*, about 19 years old, lives in a displaced persons camp with her former Boko Haram “husband.” She said: “They [the host community] always mistreat us. They give us nothing. We always feel like we are a burden to them.”
After years of oppression by Boko Haram, followed by unlawful military detention and government neglect, many interviewees valued freedom above all else. They expressed a desire to become financially independent to support themselves and their families and to send their children to school.
Many cited access to education as their top priority and said they wanted to become doctors, nurses, teachers, or lawyers, or work for non-governmental organizations. SB*, who spent about 10 years in Boko Haram captivity, said: “I want to start my life again. [There are so many things I need; I don’t know where to start.”
Access to mental health care and psychosocial support is very limited throughout northeastern Nigeria. The Nigerian government has a duty to ensure that health care facilities and services are accessible.
“The Nigerian government has failed to fulfill its human rights obligations to protect and adequately support these girls and young women,” said Samira Daoud. “Together with their international partners, Nigerian authorities must support these girls and young women in their full reintegration into society by prioritizing access to health care, education, and vocational training. They must receive the assistance they need to rebuild their lives with dignity and safety.”
Amnesty International calls on Nigerian government agencies, UN organizations, and donor governments to urgently provide tailored reintegration services for these girls and young women, while ensuring that other affected groups are not left behind. Amnesty International also calls on Nigerian authorities to ensure that girls and young women have a meaningful alternative instead of being returned to their Boko Haram “husbands” and receive the necessary support to rebuild their lives.
Background
The non-international armed conflict between Boko Haram and Nigerian armed forces has claimed millions of lives in northeastern Nigeria since it began over ten years ago. The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis, displacing millions of people. All parties to the conflict have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations, with specific consequences for women, children, and the elderly. *Names have been changed. Read the full report.