In the shadows of Sambisa Forest, where terror has reigned for years, 32-year-old Mrs. Maryam Ibrahim endured unspeakable horrors at the hands of Boko Haram. Abducted from her community in Adamawa, she was forced into captivity, stripped of her freedom, and subjected to daily brutality. Yet, in the face of unimaginable suffering, she summoned the courage to escape—not once, but twice—reclaiming her life and her dignity.
Maryam’s ordeal began when armed men stormed Madagali from Gwoza, assuring residents they had only come to buy food. “We were relaxed, doing our normal business, not knowing it was deception,” she recalled. Days later, they forced villagers to line up under the pretense of distributing food. Instead, they executed many and marched 50 women into Sambisa Forest.
Inside the notorious stronghold, Maryam was treated as property. She endured repeated sexual assaults, beatings, starvation, and psychological torment. “Every day, they forced themselves on me. If I refused, I was beaten mercilessly. Sometimes they gave me only garri and water to survive,” she said, her voice heavy with pain. Her captors even made her clean guns, arrange bullets, fetch firewood, and prepare for their operations.
Her first attempt to escape failed. But on her second try, when guards fell asleep, she seized the moment. Pretending to fetch water, she fled with a young boy she found tied to a tree. “We ran until we got to the road. People were afraid to help us, thinking we were mad, until one man stopped and took us to a military barrack,” she recounted. There, they found refuge for four months before moving to a village where residents embraced them.
Maryam’s survival, however, came at a great cost. Out of her seven children, two died, and three remain missing. Her father, husband, and many family members were killed during the conflict. Despite the grief, she clings to hope: “I believe one day, God will help me find my children, just as some families have been reunited with theirs.”
Today, Maryam lives in Adamawa, supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which provides food, healthcare, farming inputs, and psychosocial support to survivors like her. Together with other women, she has formed a self-help group where members share resources, work on farms, and assist one another during hardships.
Her journey reflects both the resilience of survivors and the urgent need for stronger government action. Stakeholders have repeatedly called for intensified operations to rid Sambisa of insurgents, establish permanent military presence, strengthen intelligence, and clear explosives from the area.
Maryam’s voice carries both sorrow and strength. “We survive only by the grace of God,” she said. “I still dream of sending my children to school and rebuilding what I have lost.”
Her story is not only one of pain but also of hope—a reminder of the indomitable human spirit and the courage it takes to walk away from darkness into light.
About the Author
Discover more from VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
