41 Nigerian girls evacuated from Mali arrive Lagos airport

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Staff Reporter

41 Nigerian human trafficking victims were on Monday evacuated from Bamako, Mail, by the federal government.

The girls arrived Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos aboard a Nigeria air force plane.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special assistant to the president on diaspora matters, and officials of the National Agency for Protection and Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) welcomed the victims back to the country.

Dabiri-Erewa said the victims had sent a distress call to the government, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari had issued a directive to evacuate and rehabilitate any Nigerian stranded outside the country.

She said the girls’ yearn for economic opportunities led them into the hands of those who lured them abroad.

“They were deceived into embarking on the journey. We will ensure we train them to the state of proficiency in different vocations, after which we will trace their parents and counsel them,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

“We will monitor the girls for two years so they do not sell their vocational equipment. It goes beyond poverty for them to embark on such a mission.

“The government had to rescue them because they sent a distress call. This made Buhari direct the service chiefs to wade into the matter to rescue the girls.”

The evacuation was conducted by the ministry of defence, Nigeria air force, office of the senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and diaspora and NAPTIP.

Source: The Cable

Two suspected female robbers caught with bundles of master keys. [Pictures]

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Staff Reporter

With the recent soar in the rate of crime in Nigeria, two young ladies named; Uchechi and Favour were caught today in a familiar neighborhood in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

They were allegedly apprehended with lots of master keys in their possession with which they allegedly use in robbing unsuspecting victims.

They have since been handed over to men of the Nigerian police.

See more photos of the girls below:

Pretty Mike vows never again to put women on a leash after date with Police

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Staff Reporter

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Lagos club owner and socialite, Mike Nwogu, aka Pretty Mike, has apologised to Nigerians for putting women on leashes like dogs and parading them at events.
The apology comes a day after he was arrested by the police in Lagos following outrage about his action, which has been described as anti-social and dehumanising.

“I apologise to all women and the good people of Lagos State, Nigeria and the rest of the world who feel dehumanised by this craft that meant well,” he wrote on his Instagram page.

“I will use other platforms and format to continue to create the necessary awareness.”The ‘apology’ which he ended with #WomenRights #PeaceAmbassador is part of an undertaking he had signed after his arrest. The socialite had in the undertaking promised to stop the controversial action and issue a public apology.

Nwogu, a 30-year-old club owner in Ikeja area of the state, was arrested on Wednesday by the police on the orders of the Lagos State government after news emerged on social media of the development.

The suspect, in pictures, which had since gone viral on the Internet, was seen putting leash on young girls and leading them to a wedding in Lagos. The development caused outrage from many quarters, with people calling on the government to act fast to put an end to such a bizarre anti-social behaviour.

Nwogu was said to be cooperating with investigators and had given useful statement to the police. He was said to have been released after he gave an undertaking to desist from putting any woman or man on a leash to dehumanize them.

According to the undertaking, Nwogu admitted knowing his action was against the law, but pledged not to further indulge in such behaviour.Speaking on the matter, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem, said government would not tolerate any anti-social behaviour that attempts to dehumanise any citizen in the state.

Cervical cancer: Group wants Nigerian girls immunised before first sex

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Staff Reporter

In a bid to stem the rising cases of cervical cancer in Nigeria, Health Education and Empowerment Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, has commenced awareness and screening sessions among women in rural communities in Ogun State.

The Information Center on Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) says there are 14,089 cervical cancer cases in Nigeria.

It also reports that about 8,240 deaths are recorded annually in the country.

HEDEN said it was driven by the heavy national burden of cervical cancer, which requires increased awareness, early detection and treatment.

The awareness program, which was taken to a faith-based women group in Abule-Ijoko, was supported by Society for Family Health, SFH.

HEDEN reports that of the 51 women that were tested, nine were found positive to the disease.

The program included talks, video presentations on symptoms of cervical cancer, its progression, stories of how early detection saves lives, question and answer session and eventual screening and treatment of women who tested positive

Many of the women expressed surprise at the subtle signs and symptoms of cervical cancer, saying they never heard about cervical cancer before.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of HEDEN, Folasade Ofurune, emphasised the need to go for screening early once a sign is noticed.

She highlighted that cervical cancer was preventable by receiving the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine before first sex from age 11 above.

She urged parents to vaccinate both boys and girl because HPV causes other diseases aside of cervical cancer.

“HEDEN envisions a world, in which communication saves lives, improves health and enhances wellbeing,” she said.

“Thus with the support of Society for Family Health, HEDEN will continue this campaign next year (2017) by extending it to many more communities.”

She further explained that cervical cancer was the commonest genital cancer killing women especially in sub-Saharan Africa, adding that it is the second commonest cancer affecting women in Nigeria.

“Globally, every two minutes a woman dies from cervical cancer. It is prevalent but not exclusive to the sexually active women in the reproductive (childbearing) years,” Mrs. Ofurune said.

“Cervical cancer is fatal if left unrecognized and untreated. It is very important for every woman to undergo regular cervical screening to detect abnormalities.

“Regular cervical smear testing through pap’s test or screening with low cost methods using Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) are the most effective ways of detecting cervical abnormalities, which may be the early signs of the disease.”

She expressed confidence that with the support of SFH, screening of women aged between 25 – 60 years will continue in order to diagnose women during the long pre-cancerous phase.

Women, girls are two-thirds of trafficked victims – UN

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Staff Reporter

No less than two-thirds of trafficked victims are women and girls while one-third of the victims of human trafficking are children, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, said on Wednesday.

UNODC Executive Director, Yury Fedotov, disclosed this on Wednesday at the launch of the 2016 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.

According to a new report from the UNODC, the vast majority of all human trafficking victims – some 71 per cent – are women, girls and children.

“Trafficking for sexual exploitation and for forced labour remain the most prominently detected forms.

“But victims are also being trafficked to be used as beggars, for forced or sham marriages, benefit fraud, or production of pornography,” Mr. Fedotov said.

According to him, the 2016 UNODC Global Report disaggregates data on the basis of gender and found that women and girls are usually trafficked for marriage and sexual slavery.

“Men and boys, however, are trafficked into exploitative labour, including work in the mining sector, as porters, soldiers, and slaves.

“Worldwide, 28 per cent of trafficking victims are children, but children account for 62 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa and 64 per cent in Central America and the Caribbean.

“Sixty nine countries detected trafficking victims from Sub-Saharan Africa between 2012 and 2014.”

Fedotov emphasised the link between armed groups and human trafficking.

He noted how armed groups often engaged in trafficking in their territories of operation, coercing women and girls into marriages or sexual slavery.

According to him, armed groups also pressed men and boys to act as forced labour or combatants.

Finally, FG set to launch campaign to end child marriage.

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Federal Government in Abuja on Monday announced plans to launch a campaign to end child marriage and other related harmful traditional practices in the country.

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Sen. Aisha Alhassan said this during a media briefing.

Alhassan said the move was borne out of the resolution by African leaders to end child marriage during the 25th African Union Ordinary Session of Heads of State in June 2015.

She said the leaders also resolved to take practical steps in addressing the issues of child marriage and other harmful traditional practices.

“One of first practical steps is a vigorous campaign to end child marriage which will be launched tomorrow Nov. 29 at the Sheraton Hotel.

“Global communities and Nigeria in particular are increasingly recognising child marriage as a serious challenge, both as a violation of human rights and a hinderance to key developmental outcomes,’’ she said.

Alhassan said African countries were faced with the challenges of child marriage which robbed girls or children of their education, health and future.

She said according to UNICEF findings, 15 million children are married off every year globally with devastating consequences on their general wellbeing.

“This is very disturbing as it is further revealed that 15 out of the 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage in the world are in Africa.

“Fifteen African countries have so far launched the campaign to end child marriage.

“The countries are Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Niger, the Islamic Republic of Gambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Zambia, Chad, Burkina Faso , Mali and Madagascar,” Alhassan said.

She said a National Technical Working Group set up to end child marriage in the country was inaugurated on July 23, 2015 by the ministry.

Alhassan urged the media, development partners and other stakeholders to redouble their efforts in ensuring girl’s rights to freedom from child marriage and other forms of violence against children.

She also urged all stakeholders in the campaign, to be more proactive and come up with concrete actions to end child marriage in the country.

Five million girls out of school in Nigeria due to discrimination.

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Staff Reporter

No fewer than five million girl child are out of school in Nigeria as a result of discriminations against girl children on a daily basis, the Country Manager of Girl Rising Nigeria, Maryam Tafida Bello, has said.

At the celebration of International Day of the Girl Child organized by Girl Rising Nigeria in partnership with Intel, Maryam said the event was an avenue for girls in Kano and beyond to realize that they could achieve their dreams.

“There are over five million girls out of school in Nigeria and most of these girls are in the northern part of the country. We cannot sit back and watch; we must do something. We must take the baton to lead the fight in ensuring that all girls, all children are educated. That is why we are here today”, Maryam stated.

She further encouraged people to bring meaningful change to Kano and the world by empowering girls through education.

This year’s theme of the International Day of the Girl Child is: “Girls’ Progress – Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls” which is focused at encouraging girls to see education as a ‘Must have’ with a goal to highlight the role of technology and the Internet as essential tools needed for leveraging all aspects of human endeavor in the current competitive dispensation.

Also speaking the Corporate Affairs Manager, Intel Corporation, Babatunde Akinola said Intel is making efforts in several ways to encourage women and young girls to be technologically motivated, especially through the Company’s ‘She Will Connect’ initiative.

He added: “Women do 60 per cent of world’s work, produce 50 per cent of food, and yet earn 10 per cent of income and own only one per cent asset”, Intel will continue to work with NGOs and other well-meaning organisations under the She Will Connect umbrella to enable, empower and connect girls and women to opportunities and consequently put an end to such gender gap”.

Speaking about the partnership with Girl Rising Nigeria, Akinola reiterated Intel’s commitment to the development of the girl child.

500 Women & Girls Infected With HIV In One IDP Camp- HRW

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has alleged, in a report released yesterday, that 500 women and girls have the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) in one Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in the North East.

The group cited an unnamed medical worker in its report, who alleged that those infected with HIV in one IDP rose from 200 to 500, with more cases unreported, over fear of stigmatisation.

“A medical health worker in one of the camps, which has 10, 000 residents said the number of people requiring treatment for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections has risen sharply, from about 200 cases when the camp clinic was established in 2014 to more than 500, in July 2016. The health worker said she believed that many more women could be infected but were ashamed to go to the clinic and are likely to be suffering in silence without treatment.” HRW did not, however, name the camp involved.

Promptly, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim and North East governors, to, as a matter of urgency, commence investigation into alleged cases of sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

The president was also reacting to allegations of sexual abuse of women and girls in IDP camps in the North East, as contained in the HRW.

Regardless, the president, who described the HRW report as “worrisome and shocking,” said he will wait for the outcome of the investigation before taking action.

His Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu conveyed the president’s directive in a statement, yesterday.

Shehu said the president reiterated welfare of the IDPs, whom he described as ‘most vulnerable of Nigerians,’ remains a priority of his government. “Nigerians and the international community can rest assured that the allegations raised in the HRW are not being taken lightly. President Buhari has instructed the IGP and state governors of the affected states to immediately, commence investigation into the issue. Their findings will determine the next course of action for the government and define an appropriate response.”

The HRW alleged in its report that “government officials and other authorities in Nigeria have raped and sexually exploited women and girls displaced by the conflict with Boko Haram.”

The group further added that, four months ago, specifically in July, it documented sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation of 43 women and girls living in seven IDP camps in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State.

“The victims had been displaced from several Borno towns and villages, including Abadam, Bama, Baga, Damasak, Dikwa, Gamboru Ngala, Gwoza, Kukawa, and Walassa. In some cases, the victims arrived in the under-served Maiduguri camps, where their movement is severely restricted after spending months in military screening camps.

“It is bad enough that these women and girls are not getting much-needed support for the horrific trauma they suffered at the hands of Boko Haram.

“It is disgraceful and outrageous that people, who should protect these women and girls are attacking and abusing them. Four of the victims told HRW that they were drugged and raped, while 37 were coerced into sex through false marriage promises and material and financial assistance.

“Many of those coerced into sex said they were abandoned after they became pregnant. They and their children have suffered discrimination, abuse, and stigmatisation from other camp residents. Eight of the victims said they were previously abducted by Boko Haram fighters and forced into marriage before they escaped to Maiduguri.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/boko-haram-hiv-ravages-idp-camp/

Nigerian officials abusing women, girls displaced by Boko Haram – HRW

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Staff Reporter

A rights group has accused Nigerian government officials and other authorities of raping and sexually abusing women and girls displaced by Boko Haram militants.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed that in July 2016, it documented the abuse and exploitation of 43 women and girls living in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) across the northeastern city of Maiduguri in Nigeria’s restive Borno State.

The victims displaced from various cities, had their movement restricted in some cases after having spent months in military screening camps, the group said.

HRW claimed that the Nigerian government was not doing enough to protect the victims and to ensure that they had access to basic rights and services.

While four of the victims interviewed reported that they had been drugged and raped, a further 37 claimed to have been coerced into sex through promises of marriage and financial assistance. Many of the women reported having been abandoned after they fell pregnant, with their children suffering discrimination and abuse at the hands of other residents in the camp.

Read accounts from the victims’ interviewed here.

A situational assessment conducted by Nigerian research organisation NOI Polls further revealed that 66% of 400 displaced people living in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states had reported sexual abuse from officials within the camps.

Irregular supplies of food, medical aid and clothing had led to the exploitation of some of the most vulnerable individuals living in the camps, with men using their positions of authority and privilege to have sex with women who sometimes only receive one meal a day.

The report said that victims of rape and sexual abuse were less likely to seek healthcare, with fewer than five of the 43 women interviewed reporting that they sought formal counselling following their harrowing ordeals. In addition, a medical health worker reported a rise in the number of people requiring HIV treatment, from about 200 cases in 2014 to more than 500 in July 2016.

Aid workers warned since early 2016 that women were being coerced into exchanging sex for basic necessities, with members of the security forces, along with other elements subjecting them to gross gender-based violence.

Following his visit to Maiduguri in August 2016, United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Chaloka Beyani, said that the Nigerian government had “a tendency to downplay the problem of sexual violence and abuse” of internally displaced people.

HRW said it had since approached authorities regarding the finding of its report.

“Failure to respond to these widely reported abuses amounts to severe negligence or worse by Nigerian authorities. Authorities should provide adequate aid in the camps, ensure freedom of movement for all displaced people, safe and confidential health care for survivors, and punish the abusers,” Segun said.

Report Claims Nigerian Security Officials Are Sexually Exploiting Women, Girls Displaced By Boko Haram

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Government officials and other authorities in Nigeria have raped and sexually exploited women and girls displaced by the conflict with Boko Haram, Human Rights Watch said Monday.

The rights group said in a statement that the government was not doing enough to protect displaced women and girls and ensure that they have access to basic rights and services or to sanction the abusers, who include camp leaders, vigilante groups, policemen, and soldiers.

Human Rights Watch said in July, it documented sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation, of 43 women and girls living in seven internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The victims had been displaced from several Borno towns and villages, including Abadam, Bama, Baga, Damasak, Dikwa, Gamboru Ngala, Gwoza, Kukawa, and Walassa. In some cases, the victims had arrived in the under-served Maiduguri camps, where their movement is severely restricted after spending months in military screening camps.

“It is bad enough that these women and girls are not getting much-needed support for the horrific trauma they suffered at the hands of Boko Haram,” said Mausi Segun, senior Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “It is disgraceful and outrageous that people who should protect these women and girls are attacking and abusing them.”

Four of the victims told Human Rights Watch that they were drugged and raped, while 37 were coerced into sex through false marriage promises and material and financial assistance.

Many of those coerced into sex said they were abandoned after they became pregnant. They and their children have suffered discrimination, abuse, and stigmatization from other camp residents. Eight of the victims said they were previously abducted by Boko Haram fighters and forced into marriage before they escaped to Maiduguri, the group said.

Women and girls abused by members of the security forces and vigilante groups – civilian self-defense groups working with government forces in their fight against Boko Haram – told Human Rights Watch they feel powerless and fear retaliation if they report the abuse.

A 17-year-old girl said that just over a year after she fled the frequent Boko Haram attacks in Dikwa, a town 56 miles west of Maiduguri, a policeman approached her for “friendship” in the camp, and then he raped her.

“One day he demanded to have sex with me,” she said. “I refused but he forced me. It happened just that one time, but soon I realized I was pregnant. When I informed him about my condition, he threatened to shoot and kill me if I told anyone else. So I was too afraid to report him.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/214067-nigerian-security-officials-raping-sexually-exploiting-women-girls-displaced-boko-haram-report.html

Chibok Girl’s Baby Not For Boko Haram, Report Says 21 Released Girls Were Not Sexually Abused

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Staff Reporter

One of the Chibok schoolgirls that came back with a child was already pregnant before she was abducted along with 219 other girls by Boko Haram gunmen on 14 April 2014.

A source close to negotiations to free the remaining schoolgirls told newsmen that there was no truth whatsoever in stories making the rounds that the girl was impregnated by one of her Boko Haram abductors.

The informed source clarified that contrary to some media reports, the girl had conceived before her abduction after being properly married.

“The girl and her parents have confirmed this. The child is not a Boko Haram Child,’’he said. The source also debunked stories that one of the girls came back pregnant, with some reports specifically saying one was four months pregnant.

“None of the girls released was sexually harassed or abused while in captivity by their abductors,” he said. “The current state of the girls is a source of joy as they are receiving the best medical, psychological and other forms of support from the authorities as directed by the Federal Government “All groups including the families, The Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) and Chibok Community are happy with their condition as medical experts work to address their health conditions.

“The girls have been visited by members of International Committee of the Red Cross, which played a great role in getting the girls freed. “It is obvious to everyone that having been in captivity, the girls were traumatised but since their release, they are showing signs of recovering well,’’he said.

Rumours, speculative reports about the state of the 21 released Boko Haram captives, are said to be creating stumbling blocks to further talks with the insurgents. The insurgents were said to be angry with Government for breaching some understanding reached with them when the 21 girls were being handed over 13 october.

However, government sources have denied any link with various speculative reports, especially in the social media.

Credit:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/chibok-girls-child-not-boko-haram/

Chibok Girls: Action confirms Buhari’s sincerity – Shettima

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State yesterday said that the rescue of 21 Chibok schoolgirls by the military has strengthened the determination of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to rescue others.

In a statement issued in Maiduguri by his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Isa Umar Gusau, Shettima said: “As people of Borno State troubled by the deaths and destruction of Boko Haram insurgency, one of our major sources of strength since May 29, 2015, has been the undiluted sincerity we saw in President Muhammadu Buhari based on his administration’s absolutely genuine commitment towards recovering our schoolgirls.

“We had faith in Buhari from the very day he took off as President.

“I am certain that the recovery of our 21 precious daughters from insurgency only strengthens the resolve of the Buhari administration to continue to work tirelessly until all the girls and all Nigerians abducted are freed.”

Shettima also commended the Nigerian armed forces and all those who worked towards the release of the 21 Chibok schoolgirls, saying: “We shall forever be grateful to those who contributed in any form towards this major feat that renews our hope to recover all our girls alive and in good health.”

#IDG2016: AYAHAY Foundation Providing Education To Girls And Children Displaced By Boko Haram

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Staff Reporter

In line with the theme of this year’s International day for Girl child, “Girls Progress = Goal Progress”,
at AYAHAY Foundation, educating the girl child has been our priority. To celebrate this day however, AYAHAY Foundation announce the establishment of education centers in Abuja and Adamawa, educating internally displaced persons, and the foundation hopes to establish 8 more centres in a bid to educate more girls especially from Northern Nigeria.

As the world marks the International day for the Girl Child, “we are proud to also state that empowering girls through our scholarship programs over the years has been rewarding, the girls opportuned to have been part of the scheme from Kebbi, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto and Borno have continued to perform creditably well” , says Mrs Maryam Augie Abdulmumin, founder of the foundation.

Mrs Augie-Abdulmumin also announce that AYAHAY Foundation, through its Empowerment through Education program, has constructed Early Childhood Education Centers (ECEC) in FCT Abuja and Malkohi, Adamawa State to educate vulnerable kids displaced by Boko Haram.

“For us it is about how much we can do for the 10 million plus out of school children in Northern Nigeria, add that number to those displaced, we had to get them in school even as they’re in the various IDP camps. We have a target of 500 women and 500 children before the end of year.” says Maryam Augie Jibrin, Executive Director of the Foundation.

Mrs Jibrin stated, “The Centres offer the space, materials, and activities organized to promote active exploration and learning for children between the ages of 3-6, and also psychosocial therapy for the kids.

The Education program is under the AYAHAY Foundation’s Gift Basket Initiative, which was started in 2014 with the sole purpose of providing relief materials to the men, women and children who have become internally displaced as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in North-Eastern Nigeria.

Hajara Tafida-Isa, Program officer of the Foundation says “we know that providing relief materials is a short-term solution to a long term problem. This led to the birth of our Empowerment through Education Program.”

“Statistically, it can be seen that between 2014-2016, there was 89% increase in the number of IDPs, also 95% increase in the number of IDPs that were out of school. Similarly, 90% of schools were destroyed in the affected areas.” Ms Tafida – Isa Maintained.

“The Early Childhood Education Centers are 2 out of 10 centers that the Foundation plans to set up in IDP camps and host communities in Northern Nigeria.” Program officer of the Foundation added. “We have 92% of IDPs living in host communities, but only 8% in IDP camp.”

Ms. Hajara further explained with details that the Abuja Center is at the Durumi IDP Camp which has a population of two thousand, seven hundred and seventy-four (2774).

“There are currently 50 children at the Abuja center and we are targeting 500 children in all the 10 centers. The center in Adamawa State is located at Malkohi, a community with a population of about eight thousand (8000). The center will cater to the educational needs of the IDP and the host community.” She maintained.

To make it conducive, the centers are built using mud blocks, thatch and have bamboo in the walls for ventilation. The items according to the facility manager, Mr Onyedikachi Izuegbu. “Will help keep the class cool even in the hottest days. “Handmade light bulbs made of chlorine and water which reflect the rays of the sun into the classroom were inserted through the roof because of the lack of electricity.”

“We have also initiated a second branch of the program which is the Adult Learning Program” He added.
“To ensure that our pupils get the right amount of help with their schoolwork while at home, their mothers have also been enrolled into our adult literacy classes where they will learn literacy and numeracy. All our teachers and instructors are Internally Displaced Persons.” He concluded.

AYAHAY Foundation in its efforts as part of its nationwide education outreach program in the country set up a scholarship program for bright children from Northern Nigeria. There are currently 12 students in the program who attend well-recognised schools in Northern Nigeria such as El-Amin International School, Minna, Niger State.

AYAHAY Foundation was established after two of Ms Augie’s close friends, Fatima and Aisha Yahaya, died in a car accident (AYAHAY is Yahaya spelled backwards.) The foundation, which is now made up of Maryam and about 20 other young individuals in different fields, has since 2013 been helping women and children especially, by equipping them with relevant entrepreneurial skills and providing them with relief materials.

AYAHAY Foundation before now, provided relief materials for the three northeastern states, Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, which have for a very long time been afflicted by attacks from terrorist group, Boko Haram.

Pastor Accused Of Rape, Abortion Of 13 Teenagers Says, ‘I’ll Marry All The Girls’

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Staff Reporter

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THE General Overseer of Tongue of Fire Restoration, Chukwuma Nwkocha, who was accused of abduction, defilement and illegal termination of pregnancies for about 13 teenagers has defended himself.

The 34-year-old indigene of Imo State said he was only aware he slept with one of the girls, Kingdom, adding that he promised to marry the 17-year-old girl. He also said he might marry all the girls if that would bring about peace.

The pastor stated that the parents of the girl and some of his parishioners were aware of his relationship with the her. “I only slept with Kingdom and I have the intention of marrying her. I know she is much younger, but I have seen in the country that a 15-year- old girl got married to a grown up man and it was not a problem. Her parents were aware of our relationship but they are not aware that we were having sex.
According to him, “one Pastor Stephen carried out abortion for Kingdom, and told her that he was not in support. Stephen also said he asked Nwkocha if he slept with the other girls and if he was aware that about six of the girls were pregnant.

Responding, the Pastor said, “I didn’t not sleep with them, I only gave them shelter in my church. I was trying to be a good pastor. When I come to church, these girls would say that they wanted to come and spend weekend at my house. I kept on dodging them, but one day I was placed in a tight corner, when one of the girl’s mother came to me and said that they had accommodation problem.

“I could not have turned down her plea, but she persisted that her daughter could be with me, so I helped out and it turned out like that for everybody. I couldn’t help one and leave the other. I also trained them in school”, he stated.

He also argued that the girls were not found in his house, but in the church, which was where they stayed.

Credit:

http://sunnewsonline.com/pastor-accused-of-rape-abortion-says-ill-marry-all-the-girls/

Boko Haram Militants “Abduct 16 Women, Girls” In Adamawa

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Staff Reporter

At least 16 female residents of Adamawa State were abducted Wednesday by suspected Boko Haram militants, the police and local officials said.

Police said a team of officers had been deployed to the area to search for the abducted persons.

Those abducted include 14 women and two girls. They were seized in Sabongari Madagali, in Madagali Local Government of the state, a federal lawmaker representing the area said.

Local sources said some of the women were taken from a nearby bush where they went in search of firewood.

Others were seized from a nearby river while fishing.

A source said two women managed to escape the abductors by pretending to have drowned.

“The two women who are in real state of trauma told us that the suspected Boko Haram insurgents had a field day carting away the women when their escorts ran away for their dear lives,” the source said.

He said two vigilante operatives who escorted the women to the bush fled on sighting the heavily armed men, who arrived good numbers.

“They left the women to their own devices as the gunmen were left unchallenged leading to the abduction of the said women,” the source said.

Confirming the incident, the member representing Michika/ Madagali Federal constituency, Adamu Kamale, said, “I just received the shocking news to the effect that about 16 women have been abducted by Boko Haram.

“We have been witnessing pockets of attacks contrary to the belief that security has been fully restored in the area. As a member of NASS( National Assembly), I have been calling for the deployment of security personnel but to no avail as the government seems to have relegated our concerns to the background”.

The Police Public Relations Officer of Adamawa, Othman Abubakar, said on learning about the development, the command deployed officers to the affected area.

He said police were working “round the clock to track down the abducted women and girls”.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Tambuwal Orders Investigation Into Abduction Of 14-yr-Old Girl In Sokoto

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has directed the state’s Human Rights Commission to wade into the alleged abduction of a 14-year-old Miss Patience Paul, on August 12, 2015. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, This came as Pan-Idoma group, Opiatoha K ‘Idoma, yesterday, pleaded with the Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, and Inspector General, Solomon Arase, to intervene and ensure the girl was released without delay. The governor’s directive came against the backdrop of reports of forcible abduction of the Benue-born girl, who was alleged to be held in the palace of the Sultan. The governor, in a statement by his spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, said the commission should conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and report to him.

The statement read: “On the case of alleged forceful abduction/forceful conversion of 15-year-old Patience Paul from Benue State, in Sokoto State, I wish to make the following statement. “On Wednesday, March 2, Governor Aminu Tambuwal directed the state Human Rights Commission to undertake a thorough investigation into the allegations and report same to the government. “In the interim, the Human Rights Commission was asked to present an interim report and update the public with all information as it becomes available. “In the first 24 hours, the Commission has contacted the Sultanate Council and the state police command for a briefing.

Kidnapped Patience Adaji “The Commission has also spoken to the state Hisbah Commission, as well as the person whose phone number was given in the initial allegation made online. “Despite efforts, however, the Rights Commission has been unable to contact the family of Patience Paul or anyone who will shed more light on the allegations. “It has now opened a public plea, urging Ms Paul’s family or representatives to contact it for a detailed briefing.”

Melaye Asks Senators To Patronise Made In Nigeria Girls

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The debate on the motion on the need to patronise made in Nigeria goods took a new dimension when Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi Central) asked his colleagues to patronise made in Nigeria girls.

Melaye had while contributing to the motion sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South) said the campaign should not be limited to goods alone.

He later said: “ With due apology to my Comrade Governor of Edo State, we must start to campaign for made in Nigeria girls. It is time for my colleagues to start patronising made in Nigeria women.”

It was after he stated this that the Senate President Bukola Saraki interrupted and said that motion was clear enough.

Earlier while moving the motion, Abaribe said until Nigeria adopted a “pro-made in Nigeria” procurement policy, made in Nigeria would continue to lag behind both in competition and acceptability.

Credit: dailytrust

Chibok Girls Alive and Kicking, Says Journalist Ahmed Salkida

Posted on January 2, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Ahmed Salkida, the only journalist known to have some access to the leadership of Boko Haram, has said credible sources have told him the Chibok girls are still alive, with some refusing to convert to Islam.

Over 250 schoolgirls were kidnapped from their dormitory in April 2014 and at least 219 of them are still believed to be in captivity, although there is yet no clue on their location.

But Salkida, in an op-ed for TheCable.ng, suggested that President Muhammadu Buhari should use state machinery to open up access to the militants rather than say he has no clue on the kidnapped girls whose abductions sparked off the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

Salkida wrote:

“Most of the Chibok girls, whether they are split into groups or not, are alive, multiple credible sources have told me, and if a deal to release them will weaken national security and endanger the entire country, then the federal government shouldn’t make a deal.

I am confident that Chibok girls and other captives can return to their families if the government is half as strong-willed as some of the girls in captivity that have refused to be married out or give up their faith.

The girls would have never backed out of any process, no matter how irritating it is. They would stay on and negotiate hard until they get a deal that will earn them their freedom and stop such abductions so that no one else can ever witness their woeful plight.”

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau – from whom nothing has been heard in the last 10 months — once released a video of the schoolgirls and said he had sold them off to marriage. All efforts to free the girls have failed.

ThisDay

Adele’s Body Guard Is Causing A Stir On The Internet, Girls Are Saying Hello

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Adele has hired Peter Van Der Veen, gorgeous Dutch man and former bodyguard of Lady Gaga, as her protector and hunky human shield following the popularity of her latest album, 25.

As with all beautiful (and Adele-related) things, the Internet is freaking out:

https://twitter.com/bryanboy/status/667050633904566272

Credit: Cosmopolitan

Herbalist Abducts, Turns Minors to Sex Slaves

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Two stolen kids that were rescued by the Cross River State Police Command on Thursday said they were made sex slaves by a herbalist, Emmanuel Akpan-Okon, who held them hostage for four years.

The kids, Esther Wisdom and Felicia Destiny, both aged 11, said in the four years that they were held hostage, the herbalist raped them almost every day.

Akpan-Okon (42) was arrested by the police following a tip-off that he specialised in the preparation of charms for armed robbers.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Henry Fadairo, said the rescued kids were abducted from their

parents separately from Onitsha, Anambra State, and Auchi, Edo State.

He said:

“On November 16, 2015, we raided one Emmanuel Akpan’s home in Akamkpa, in the Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, based on a tip-off. We gathered he was into the preparation of charms for armed robbers and treatment of criminals with bullet wounds.

During the raid, we saw two little girls in his house. One is Esther Wisdom and the other, Felicia Destiny. They are both 11 years. On enquiry, we found out that they were abducted four years ago. Wisdom was stolen from Onitsha while Destiny was stolen from Auchi.

We are making efforts to see how we can locate their parents. The victims claimed that he had been having regular sex with them.”

Destiny said she was in primary four when she was abducted, adding that the herbalist had raped her many times. She said:

“I was in primary four when he took me away from my home. I remember that my mother lost her sister and when she was going for the burial, she told the man, who was a commercial motorcycle rider, to bring me to her village. That was how I found myself living with him. I used to tell him that I did not like sex, but he continued.”

Also, Wisdom said:

“He has been having sex with us regularly. He gives us food to eat and promises that one day he will take us back to our mothers.”

Akpan-Okon, who is from Akwa Ibom State, said he abducted the girls because their mothers could not cater for them. He said:

“While staying in the same compound with Wisdom’s mother at Onitsha, I observed that she had problems bringing up her nine children. This girl, Wisdom, was always with me when I was staying in their compound. So, when I wanted to leave Onitsha, I took her with me without telling her mother.

When I left Onitsha with her, I went to Auchi, and was riding a commercial motorcycle as a means of livelihood. Where I stayed in Auchi, Destiny was always coming to play with Esther. I also noticed that Destiny’s mother had many children. So, when I wanted to leave the town, I took her along.

I had sex with them and I know it is bad in the sight of God. I have a girl child who is with the mother. I will not be happy if she is treated this way.”

Christian Teacher Arrested For Having Sex With Underage Female Student Over 40 Times

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Staff Reporter

What is this world turning to?? Both the man and the girl need to be flogged thoroughly. And for God’s sakes, hosting sex parties for underaged kids???

A Christian Scientist school in Missouri has been hit with a $1million lawsuit accusing the institution of failing to protect students from an employee charged with having sexual intercourse a 16-year-old girl dozens of times and organizing orgies for teens.

According to the complaint filed by the alleged victim’s parents last week, when officials at Principia
– a high school and college for Christian Scientists in St Louis – found out about the alleged sexual abuse, they did little beyond issuing telecommunications director Zachary Retzalff a verbal warning to ‘knock it off’ and ‘cut it out.’, the Mirror reports.

Retzlaff, a 33-year-old widowed father of two young sons, was arrested over the summer and charged with statutory rape.

According to the civil suit reviewed by the St Louis Post-Dispatch, Retzlaff had sex with the 16-year-old female student at The Principia more than 40 times on and off campus between July 2014 and May 2015.

The telecom manager also allegedly introduced the girl to sadomasochism, choking the girl until she passed out before having sex with her.

Retzlaff also allegedly hosted group sex parties with the 16-year-old and other students from the Christian Scientist school.

The school where he was doing the deed

The parents of the teenager, identified in the complaint as ‘Jane Doe,’ claim that she ran away from home and they believe she is living with Retzlaff and plans to marry him.

Court filings in the case allege that officials at the St Louis school knew Retzlaff had sex with students in the past.

In June, the widower was accused of engaging in sexual activity with a girl younger than 17, and charged with a single count of felony statutory rape. He pleaded not guilty in the criminal case and was released on $25,000 bail.

Prosecutors are now seeking to have Retzlaff remanded to jail because they believe he violated a judge’s order prohibiting him from contacting the victim.

Retzlaff lost his wife and the mother of his children, Juliana, in February 2014. According to the complaint, sometime after her passing, he 16-year-old student began babysitting the couple’s children and cleaning his home.

Eyah, she has eaten what adults eat and now she wants to marry him. Equating sex with love. The man needs to be locked up and the keys thrown away for misleading this young girl .

Children’s Football Coach At Chelsea Repeatedly Raped School Girl Atleast 15 Times

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A children’s coach at Chelsea repeatedly raped a 12-year-old girl at their training centre in Surrey, a court has heard.

Shane Hughes, 31, allegedly abused the girl 15 times over four months in a physiotherapy room, where she was supposed to be getting treatment for a knee injury.

Prosecutor John Livingstone told the court that the first attack happened after he told her to take her clothes off and get on the massage table.

Mr Livingstone added: ‘She said “No, what is happening?” He then pushed her back on the massage table and told her not to scream and, though she did, he put his hands over her mouth and forced her clothes off.’

It alleged that he raped the girl and forced her to perform a sex act, Kingston Crown Court heard.

Hughes, who is the Premier League club’s children’s coach, is said to have carried out the offence in 2011 at their training headquarters in Cobham, Surrey.

The girl is now 16 years old, and Hughes is facing 14 counts of rape in relation to a child under the age of 13. He however denied raping her while the case was adjourned for continuation.

Meet The 12-Year-Old Who Is Smarter Than Albert Einstein

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A 12-year-old girl who had an inkling she might be quite clever has sat a test and proved she was absolutely right.

Lydia Sebastian achieved the top score of 162 on Mensa’s Cattell III B paper, suggesting she has a higher IQ than well-known geniuses Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

The comparison doesn’t sit well with the British student, who’s currently in Year 8 at Colchester County high school, a selective girl’s grammar school in Essex, England.

“I don’t think I can be compared to such great intellectuals such as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. They’ve achieved so much. I don’t think it’s right,” Lydia told CNN.

Lydia sat the test in her summer holidays, after raising the idea with her parents and pestering them for the best part of a year.

It turns out the test wasn’t that hard after all.

“I was really nervous before the test and I thought it was going to be really hard. But as I started the test, I thought it was a bit easier than I thought it was going to be,” she said.

Lydia’s not quite sure what she wants to do when she leaves school, although she’s leaning toward something “based around maths, because it’s one of my favorite subjects.”

“All I’m going to do is work as hard as I can, and see where that gets me,” she said.

To put Lydia’s mark in perspective, the top adult score in the Cattell III B test, which primarily tests verbal reasoning, is 161. A top 2% score — which allows entry to Mensa, the club for those with high IQs — would be 148 or over. Lydia scored 162, placing her in the top 1% of the population.

ISIS Executes 19 Girls For Refusing To Have Sex With Fighters

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Staff Reporter

ISIS fanatics have executed 19 women for refusing to have sex with its fighters, a Kurdish official has said.

He claimed the women were being held hostage in Islamic State’s stronghold of Mosul, Iraq, which the terror group seized in June last year.

Meanwhile a UN envoy investigating Islamic State’s vile sex trade has said ‘girls get peddled like barrels of petrol’ and one can be bought by six different men.

She also verified a disturbing ISIS document which suggested the extremists sell the Yazidi and Christian women and children they have abducted, with girls aged just one to nine-years-old fetching the most money.

ISIS stormed the Sinjar district in northern Iraq last year and captured hundreds of women belonging to the Yazidi community, who the Islamists view as heretics.

Barbaric: ISIS fanatics have reportedly executed 19 women (file photo) for refusing to have sex with its fighters

Enslaved: A UN envoy investigating Islamic State’s vile sex trade says ‘girls get peddled like barrels of petrol’ (file photo purports to show captured girls in ISIS territory)

419 Girls Scam ISIS on Social Media For Travel Money

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Staff Reporter

If you’re low on funds for that big vacation, you could always ask to borrow money, make a Kickstarter campaign… or swindle a couple of Islamic State recruiters. It may not be the safest way to make money, but that’s what three girls from Chechnya, a Russian republic in southeastern Europe, did.

The Chechen girls are under investigation for fraud after they allegedly scammed ISIS members into giving them money on the pretense that they would use it to travel from their homeland to Syria. The ladies got away with $3,300 before being discovered, according to RT News.

The ISIS members allegedly reached out to the girls’ social media accounts, asking the girls to join the militant cause. The young women kept in contact with the ISIS members and even sent fake pictures to string them along.

After the ISIS members wired the money, the girls closed down their accounts, stopped all communication, and kept the windfall. The con artists had no intention of actually leaving the country, though one admitted that she used to consider joining.

“I don’t recall any precedent like this one in Chechnya, probably because nobody digs deep enough in that direction,” police officer Valery Zolotaryov told a local Chechen newspaper. “Anyhow, I don’t advise anyone to communicate with dangerous criminals, especially for grabbing quick money,” he added. Wise advise.

The girls’ (totally illegal) stunt isn’t the first of its kind. RT News reported that sometimes men create fake accounts, pretending to be females, with the same ISIS-swindling intentions.

The Islamic State often targets Muslim communities, like Chechnya, in Europe and the United States to recruit people who are willing to inflict acts of terrorism on their own soil. Members have been said to use social media to get a wide reach of followers and find those who will agree to commit violence. Often women are the ones cheated during these arrangements, as they are married off to fighters and often become victims of sexual abuse.

Credit: YahooNews

Guys And Gentlemen Read Through This To Find Out 52 Amazing Secrets, Thank Us Later

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Staff Reporter

52 Deadly Ways to Make your woman see you as the only thing that could be her taste of Heaven On Earth with your love, care and attention.

1. Make her cum daily.
2. Compliment her genuinely.
3. Leave a candy and a blank cheque for her to find.
4. Kiss her for At least, 8 seconds.
5. Hold her hands.
6. Whisper sweet words in her ear.
7. Caress her—she loves to feel your gentle touch.
8. Appreciate her for the things she does for you daily.

9. Praise her in front of others.
10. Dedicate a post to her on her favorite blog.
11. Deliver Nice flowers to her.
12. Take her on a surprise date.
13. Keep the communication alive.
14. Put your arm around her.
15. Take a shower together.
16. Don’t blame her for all your loss.
17. Praise her to her face.
18. Take care of the car maintenance.
19. Do not forget special occasions. Eg: birthday, wedding anniversary, valentines day, etc.
20. Don’t ever hide anything from her. Don’t even think it!
21. Always kiss her Goodnight.
22. Always be positive.
23. Handle her mood swings.
24. Admit when you’re wrong and beg for forgiveness with a new car.
25. Sacrifice for her.
26. Don’t mention her weight! No matter how fat or skinny she is, don’t make the mistake of mentioning it.
27. Look into her Eyes.
28. Write her a Love Poem.
29. Massage her body.
30. Call her if you’re going to be late.. Don’t keep her in suspense!
31. Don’t argue over money!
32. When she is crying, don’t say a word. Just hold her in your arms.
33. Don’t tease her too much.
34. Respect her.
35. Don’t ever lie to your wife!
36. Sing and pray together.
37. Do things together.
38. Make sure you don’t have a bad hygiene—if you do, correct it now.
39. Slow-dance in your room.
40. Don’t be a workaholic— women hate it with passion!
41. Make out time to cuddle her.
42. Help her Undress.
43. Help out when she is heavy or sick.
44. Provide for her needs.
45. Don’t correct her in front of others.
46. Take her on weekend trips.
47. Forgive her when she goes wrong.
48. When making love, describe aloud and in detail each thing that you do and how it makes you feel. This will greatly arouse your wife, as well as let her know that she’s meeting your needs.
49. Take a jacuzzi bath together.
50. Plan your future with her.
51. Cook for her!
52. Finally, tell the world how much you love her

Six Nigerian Girls Rescued From Prostitution In Burkina-Faso

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Six Nigerian women have been sent back to the country from the Burkina Faso where they were allegedly taken to for prostitution by a woman, named Balikis.

While re-uniting the girls with their parents in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, the Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Oyo State Command, Innocent Akatu, said the girls were tricked to leave Nigeria, adding that the victims did not tell their parents about the journey.

Akatu said the girls refused to engage in prostitution in Ouagadougu, Burkina Fasso, and were locked in a room by the trafficker.

He added that their journey back home after three weeks began when one of them escaped and alerted the Burkinabe police. He said:

“The victims, after being smuggled to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, discovered that they were going to be used for prostitution. They were not even told that they were going to Burkina Faso. These girls were told that they would be given lucrative jobs abroad; one of them was told that she was going to manage a jewellery shop owned by her trafficker.

“One of them was taken from her home in Ikorodu, Lagos State, and driven to Saki in Oyo State. When she asked why it had taken them so long to reach the airport, she was told that the plane had left and that they would have to travel by road.

“The Nigerian embassy assisted in arranging emergency travelling documents for them to return to Nigeria after their lucky escape. We have taken them to the hospital for screening and they are HIV negative.”

One of the returnees, Ganiyat Samuel, said she lived with her grandmother in Ikorodu before she embarked on the journey.

She said, “A woman, called Balikis, came to me and said that I would make more money as a fashion designer if I travel outside Nigeria. I told her that I had no passport, but she said that she would take care of it. I did not tell any of my parents.

“When we got to Saki, she said she could not get a passport for me because the office had closed. We travelled for two days to get to Burkina Faso. She took me to her house and told me that I would have to do HIV test. The test revealed that I was pregnant, but HIV negative. She told me that she brought me to the country for prostitution and that I would have to abort the pregnancy. I refused and she locked me in a room. When she brought another Nigerian a week later, I helped the girl to escape and she alerted the police. The police rescued us and arrested the woman.”

Samuel’s mother, Olasunkanmi Afuwape, said her father had died and after she re-married, she took the girl and her brother to live with her mother in Ikorodu.

Culled from Punch

Cristiano Ronaldo Takes Lady On Dinner Date After Finding Her Lost Phone

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A lady had the date of her dreams after her lost phone was found by Cristiano Ronaldo.It appears while partying over the weekend in Vegas, she lost her phone and he found it,contacted her and took her and her friends to dinner.The excited lady Austin Woolstenhulme,took to social media to post pictures and share the good news.

‘Bad news is I lost my phone two days ago. Good news is Cristiano Ronaldo found it.
Better news is he took us to dinner last night.’

Lucky girl..

Cross River State To Host MBGN Pageant In October

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Cross River State Government and Silverbird Group have signed a 4-year management contract for the hosting of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN), at the prestigious 5,000 seat capacity Calabar International Convention Centre (CICC).

According to the agreement, Calabar will play host to both the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) and the maiden edition of Miss Africa Beauty Pageant owned by the Cross River State Government.

Speaking shortly after the signing ceremony at the CICC in Calabar, the State Governor, Ben Ayade, expressed confidence that Silverbird has the capacity and expertise to manage the centre, giving its track record in the entertainment industry.

According to the Governor, with the hosting of the two pageant shows in October and December, citizens of Cross River State and indeed Nigerians should key into the new development and make the best use of business opportunities it will offer.

The Group Vice President, Silverbird Group, Mr. Guy Murrày-Bruce, overwhelmed by the architectural masterpiece, described the CICC as the best of its kind in Africa.

Murray-Bruce said that the pageants would enable the state showcase its enormous tourism potentials to the whole world with the view to attracting tourists for economic gains.

He expressed delight to partner with the Cross River State Government on the project and promised delivering on excellence.

South Sudan Army Rape, Burn Girls Alive – UN

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Staff Reporter

UN rights reports have said on Tuesday that South Sudan’s army raped then torched girls alive inside their homes during a recent campaign notable for its “new brutality and intensity”.

A UN mission in South Sudan said some of the most disturbing allegations focused on the abduction and sexual abuse of women and girls, some of whom were reportedly burnt alive in their dwellings. The UN mission said they have interviewed 115 victims and eyewitnesses in Unity state where South Sudanese forces were involved in fighting against opposition fighters in April. They have also promised to bring those involved to book.

Kim Kardashian Confirms That She’s Having A Boy

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Kim K just confirmed she’s pregnant with a son. Congrats to her and hubby- Kanye West.

Man Arrested For Having Sex With His 14 Year Old Daughter In Lagos

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Lagos state police command has arrested a 49 year old plank seller and father, Adeboye Adesola (pictured right) for allegedly having sex with his 14 year old daughter (pictured left) who is in SS1.

The girl said she moved in with her father and his new wife in a one-room apartment in Ikorodu after she lost her mother. According to Daily Independent, the girl alleged that he first had sex with her in November 2014 and tried it again in March 2015 immediately after he separated from her stepmother. He slept with her claiming he wanted to see if she was still a virgin.

After the second encounter, she ran away from home and took refuge in a church where she told a pastor what her father had done to her. The pastor and other church leaders reported the case at the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos on May 20th. Her father was arrested on May 21st.

“My mother died when I was three years old. We were six in number living in the room, my father, his new wife, my younger brother and my two half sisters. My mom died in 2007. She gave birth to me and my brother. It all started in 2014. He used to check my private part to see if I had started menstruating or having sex with men. I was sleeping in the midnight, he removed my wrapper. By then, my step mother had packed out of his house because she was accused of dating other men in the compound. He inserted his finger in my private part and asked me if I had started menstruation, I said no. He asked if I have had sex before and I said no. He said he would use his penis to test it. He climbed on me, I wanted to scream, but he held my mouth. I bled from that night till the following day. I felt very bad but he warned me that nobody must hear what he did to me. He repeated it again on 5th March, 2015. He did it between 9pm and 10pm. He used condom in the first one. This time, he asked me to remove my clothe and lie on the bed. It was a Thursday night, I could not bear it anymore. So the following day, I packed my things and left the house. I dropped a note that he should not look for me. I moved to a nearby church and stayed there. My uncle took me to the church and the members brought me to the police station after I told them what my dad did to me.”the girl said.

When interrogated, her father blamed the devil for his action

“The day I was brought here (police station), I was thoroughly beaten by members of the O’odua People’s Congress (OPC) who forced me to confess that I had canal knowledge of my daughter. But here in the police station, nobody beat me. I told the Oga that it was devil’s work. Oga, I’m sorry, pity me. I’m from poor family. I am the only one taking care of them. Forgive me for whatever happened, I did not know what happened.”

Two Teenage Girls Electrocuted While Trying To Take Selfies On Top Of A Train

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Staff Reporter

In May, an 18-year-old Romanian girl died as she tried to take “the ultimate selfie” on top of a train, now these 2 teenage girls are in a serious condition after being electrocuted as they tried to take a selfie on top of a train which they thought was no longer in use.

Russian friends Olesya Belmasova and Anastasiya Kirillova, who are both 16, suffered horrific burns after brushing against a live rail track in the Russian city of Taganrog.

They climbed on it because they thought it no longer worked but the train sat on tracks with thousands of volts running through them.

The friends were spotted by a passing worker, who witnessed the horrifying moment they were electrocuted.
“I was walking towards them to ask them what they were doing when they were suddenly blasted to the ground,” he said.
“One was completely blackened and the other was on fire as if she had exploded.”
The two girls were rushed to a children’s hospital with 70% burns and several fractures.

Anastasia, who can still talk despite the severity of her injuries, said:

“We climbed on top of the tank car and then I heard a loud clap. We fell off the car and onto the ground.

“My hair was on fire and I was in so much pain.”

A police spokesman said:

“They wanted to take some photos from the top of the tank car but were injured by a high-voltage electric current.”

Daily Mirror

ISIS’ Slave Markets Sell Girls For A Pack Of Cigarettes

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Teenage girls abducted by ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria are being sold in slave markets “for as little as a pack of cigarettes,” the UN envoy on sexual violence said on Monday.

Zainab Bangura visited Iraq and Syria in April, and has since been working on an action plan to address the horrific sexual violence being waged by ISIS fighters.

“This is a war that is being fought on the bodies of women,” Bangura told AFP in an interview.

The UN envoy spoke to women and girls who had escaped from captivity in ISIS-controlled areas, met with local religious and political leaders and visited refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

Jihadists continue to run slave markets for girls abducted during fresh offensives, but there are no figures on the numbers enslaved by the fighters.

“They kidnap and abduct women when they take areas so they have, I don’t want to call it a fresh supply but they have new girls,” she said.

Girls are sold for “as little as a pack of cigarettes” or for several hundred or thousand dollars, she said.

Bangura described the ordeal of several teenage girls, many of whom were part of the Yazidi minority targeted by the jihadists.

“Some were taken, locked up in a room, over 100 of them in a small house stripped naked and washed.”

They were then made to stand in front of a group of men who decided “what you are worth.”

Bangura gave the account of a 15-year-old girl who was sold to an ISIS leader, a sheikh aged in his 50s, who showed her a gun and a stick and asked her “tell me what you want”.

“She said ‘the gun’ and he replied: ‘I didn’t buy you so that you could kill yourself'” before raping her, Bangura said.

Violence Against Women And Girls: Breaking The Culture Of Silence — Nnaemeka Oruh

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Let us tell ourselves the truth,we are all witnesses,culprits,or victims of violence against women and girls.Be it a father abusing the daughter sexually,a husband physically or verbally abusing the wife,a son abusing his wife or girlfriend physically,psychologically,or sexually,or a brother abusing his girlfriend or wife,or even our own mothers or sisters suffering any form of abuse from our fathers or our sisters’ husbands,or even our friends or neighbours carrying out these abuses.One way or the other,we witness these abuses; we hear of them; we perpetrate them; and sometimes,we are even victims.All around us are these abuses.These abuses may be physical,psychological,verbal,sexual,or in the form of harmful widowhood practices or genital mutilation.So when you or anybody you know use(s) your tongue as a whip on a woman or girl,know that you are abusing the person and this may lead to a psychological breakdown.Or when that female child has her clitoris cut off in the name of circumcision,or a widow is denied her rights and made to suffer inhuman treatments,we should be aware that abuse is taking place.

Yet,few of these cases are reported.In fact,we seldom see these abuses as serious,or ,as something bad.But are abuses against women and girls evil?Do they affect societal balance?

Many people see violence against women and girls as a normal way of life.It is believed that it is normal to beat the woman a little.When daughters complain to their mothers about their husbands or boyfriends beating them,the mothers carefully explain to them that it is the normal way of life and buttress with the example that their own husbands did beat them too.In some cases,children who had witnessed such spousal abuses internalize them and see such acts as the norm.So the boys go ahead to carry on with that culture of impunity,while the girls receive such abuses with lamb-like piety.And thus the vicious cycle continues,resulting in death,maiming,etc.

There is another reason for such general acceptance and silence to violence against women and girls.It is the issue of stigmatization.The father,uncle,grandfather,or even a neighbour sexually abuses a woman or a girl,everybody ensures the issue is not heard outside simply because of the social stigma society attaches to such abuses.Nobody wants to talk about it so that it does not become public knowledge which will lead to the stigmatization of the victim.So tomorrow,the perpetrator is emboldened and he continues to wreck havoc on more women and girls.As for the victim,the trauma stays.Never mind the unwanted pregnancy that could have been avoided if such a case was reported and the proper medical attention given.Never mind the venereal diseases that may follow such abuse.The victim thus becomes twice a victim and the culprit continues on his way,a roaring prey,inflicting more harm.On his trail will be a long line of psychologically traumatized women,unwanted babies,and sick women and girls.But you and I remain quiet.Until one day,we become secondary victims(and sometimes primary victims) of the vicious cycle.Never mind all that,let us continue to be quiet.We should not mind the fact that the person who sexually violates a little girl today,and goes unpunished,will tomorrow violate another,then another,and another.

One thing we may all know already is that the abused woman or girl can react in one of two ways; become psychologically damaged and imbalanced,or become disillusioned.If she becomes disillusioned,then there goes the person’s future and whatever contributions she may make to the society.If she becomes psychologically damaged or imbalanced,then,she becomes a ticking bomb that could go off any minute,with collateral damage to any one of us.But,forget it all,let us just keep quiet.I mean,it does not concern us.

You know,come to think of it,the abused woman or girl who got that venereal disease that was not treated because it was not reported may tomorrow become your son’s wife or girlfriend,or even your own wife or girlfriend(or your brother’s),and she will pass it on to him/you.Or let us say that the disease ate deep into her and she could not procreate,and she is your own daughter or even yourself.Well,don’t we all have God?God forbid,it will not be our portion.I have a feeling that God too will scream “you forbid!” when you witness such things and keep quiet.

We like to give excuses though.So we can actually disregard all talks about violence against women and girls by simply playing the culture card.Well,I wonder how many of us still walk around naked or walk to wherever we are going to without using cars.I mean,that was what our forefathers used to do right?If we must hold on to culture,let us hold on to all aspects of our culture.Culture as I know though is dynamic and cultures evolve in line with general good.And by the way,one can only play the culture card when talking about harmful widowhood practices and female genital mutilation as in no part of our cultures did our forefathers laud physical violence of any type against women and girls.But,let us play the culture card,while impunity reigns.

We live in a vicarious world.What humans have always done is to find better ways to make life better and easier for all.Violence Against Women and Girls is a criminal act that currently threatens our society badly.There is only one way to fight it: break the culture of silence and expose it for the evil that it is.The person who should be stigmatized is the perpetrator and not the victim.Nobody should be ashamed of being violated.The person who should be made to feel shame is the perpetrator.You should speak up about it,receive proper treatment and counseling when necessary,and have the culprit prosecuted.Thankfully,the federal government of Nigeria now has the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill as a law.This shows that even the federal government has criminalized all forms of violence.As citizens,our duty then is to take full advantage,safeguard our future and protect our loved ones by speaking up,and reporting such cases for action.

Whatever we do,we should bear in mind that we need to break this culture of silence for the sake of our mothers,sisters,cousins,nieces,and daughters.This is a sacred task that we must take seriously for the sake of our future.Or maybe,we can just continue to keep quiet.It is a choice.

P:S This essay is part of a sensitization programme by the Rivers State Observatory for Violence Against Women and Girls(A non-profit group).You can send in reports of cases of VAWGs to us through vawgs.riversstate@gmail.com for action. Be rest assured that it will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Views expressed are solely that of author and does not represent views of www.omojuwa.com nor its associates

UNFPA Responds To Nigeria’s Humanitarian Crisis; Supports Rescued Women, Girls

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Staff Reporter

UNFPA, our very own United Nations Population Fund, has been extremely active in humanitarian work in Nigeria since 2013, supporting the nation under the leadership and coordination of the National Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Agencies, as well as Federal and State Governments. It also supports civil society groups to complement government efforts. For example, the Nigerian Red Cross Society plays a key role in the distribution and monitoring of humanitarian supplies to affected states.

When humanitarian crises strike, UNFPA is there and fully committed to ensuring that women can deliver babies safely and that they and girls can maintain their health, dignity, rights and self-worth even in the most challenging situations. Its efforts are focused on supporting women and girls to restore their lives as quickly as possible and begin the process of healing to be able to fulfill their potential and once again resume productive lives.

In this context, UNFPA supports humanitarian work in 6 states (Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Adamawa, Kaduna and Benue) with the most concentrated support in Borno and Adamawa. It supports women and girls in need, including women and girls freed from captivity. In collaboration with the Borno and Adamawa State Ministries of Health, it trained, mobilized and deployed health workers to camps for internally displaced persons in the states. There, they are providing vitally needed psychosocial counseling support and health services, including to rescued women and girls, as well as to family and community members.

UNFPA works closely with community-based organizations and other partners to ensure that reproductive health is integrated into emergency responses. Specifically, UNFPA helps procure and distribute reproductive health kits in humanitarian settings. These are distributed mainly to health facilities in communities and to temporary clinics in displaced persons’ camps. They help ensure safe and clean delivery, ensure safe blood transfusion and provide medical assistance to survivors of sexual violence. They also include clean delivery kits for distribution to visibly pregnant women, where access to health facilities remains difficult. UNFPA is committed to improving the chances that no woman dies giving life, even during conflicts.

UNFPA addresses gender-based violence in humanitarian settings with a wide range of services, including counseling, post-rape treatment, legal support, assistance with livelihoods, and support through its Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) programs. Its support includes building national capacity in clinical management of rape and supporting the provision of psychosocial counseling to traumatized survivors of violence. UNFPA aims to build resilience at individual and community levels through support for psychosocial counseling for survivors, families and communities.

Upon the arrival of rescued women and children in Malkohi camp in Yola, UNFPA responded immediately by providing reproductive health care and psychosocial counseling to survivors of violence. Women and girls who survive unimaginable trauma of captivity and brutalizing violence need immediate and compassionate care and UNFPA has been, as always, determined to ensure that they are given everything they need to be able to heal with dignity, safety and a restored sense of self-worth. After a few weeks of counseling, there was marked improvement in the survivors.

UNFPA does NOT promote abortion as a method of family planning nor does it have any abortion related interventions in Nigeria. UNFPA supports voluntary family planning so that women and men can freely determine the number, timing and spacing of their children as well as prevent unwanted pregnancies—it is their human right to do so and to have the means to exercise that right. This helps reduce recourse to abortion. All UNFPA support abides by Nigeria’s laws.

UNFPA is committed to delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every child birth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. Its mandate was determined by United Nations Members, including Nigeria. Indeed, Nigeria is one of the countries whose 1965 appeal to the United Nations ultimately inspired UNFPA’s creation a few years later.

All UNFPA-supported interventions are approved, owned and implemented by Nigeria and respects the nation’s sovereignty, laws and priorities. UNFPA’s work is done through its partners such as Federal and State governments in Nigeria.

UNFPA in Nigeria is committed to save lives, restore dignity and rebuild broken lives of vulnerable women and girls.

In 2014 alone it:
supported more than 16,000 safe deliveries in North East Nigeria

reached 2,620,000 women and girls with SRH services including for Gender Based Violence (GBV) management in North East Nigeria.

supported provision of modern family planning services to an estimated 2,093,588 women and Couple Year Protection of 2, 222,029 countrywide

averted 2,383 maternal deaths country wide though its support

supported the provision of 1,045 free fistula treatment surgeries with 97% success rate across the country.

End –
For more information, please contact UNFPA’s Communications Analyst – Ms Ololade Daniel at odaniel@unfpa.org

Syrian, Iraqi Girls Shipped Naked After Being Sold At ISIS Slave Bazaars- UN

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The United Nations says ISIS terrorist group has been offering Syrian and Iraqi girls for sale by putting them on show “stripped naked” in “slave bazaars.”

Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Bangura made the harrowing revelation on Thursday while briefing journalists on her “scoping mission” to Syria, Iraq and some other countries in the region in April.

“Girls are literally being stripped naked and examined in slave bazaars” of ISIS, Bangura said, adding that the girls were “categorized and shipped naked off to Dohuk (Province) or Mosul or other locations to be distributed among ISIS leadership” and militants.

Bangura visited Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan from April 16 to 29 and interviewed girls and women who had escaped ISIS captivity and survived sexual violence.

“Women and girls are at risk and under assault at every point of their lives,” Bangura said, stressing that they are in danger at “every step of the way… in the midst of active conflict, in areas under control of armed actors, at check-points and border crossings, and in detention facilities.”

Read More: presstv

Boko Haram Stone Girls To Death, Crush Others With Armoured Tankers To Avert Rescue

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Even with the crackle of gunfire signaling rescuers were near, the horrors did not end: Boko Haram fighters stoned captives to death, some girls and women were crushed by an armored car and three died when a land mine exploded as they walked to freedom.

Through tears, smiles and eyes filled with pain, the survivors of months in the hands of the Islamic extremists told their tragic stories to The Associated Press on Sunday, their first day out of the war zone.

“We just have to give praise to God that we are alive, those of us who have survived,” said 27-year-old Lami Musa as she cradled her 5-day-old baby girl.

She was among 275 girls, women and their young children, many bewildered and traumatized, who were getting medical care and being registered a day after making it to safety.

Nigeria’s military said it has freed nearly 700 Boko Haram captives in the past week. It is still unclear if any of them were among the so-called “Chibok girls,” whose mass abduction from their school a year ago sparked outrage worldwide and a campaign for their freedom under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.

Musa was in the first group of rescued women and girls to be transported by road over three days to the safety of the Malkohi refugee camp, a dust-blown deserted school set among baobab trees opposite a military barracks on the outskirts of Yola, the capital of northeastern Adamawa state.

Read More: AP

Nigerian Military Yet To Confirm Identities Of Rescued Women, Girls

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigerian Military is yet to ascertain the true identities of the 293 girls and women rescued from the Sambisa forest camps of Boko Haram?,? to confirm if the Chibok Girls are among them, the Defence Headquarters said on Thursday.

In a statement, the Director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, said sustained ground operations, following aerial bombardments by the Air Force, had led to the capturing of over 13 camps of the terrorists in the notorious Sambisa forest and liberation of 200 girls and 93 women who are currently undergoing “comprehensive profiling.”

Until such comprehensive profiling is done, no one can confirm if they are among the Chibok Girls or not, Mr. Olukolade said.

“The true identity of some of the rescued women and girls are yet to be ascertained,” he said. “At the moment, what is upper most and of priority is their movement to a conducive place where they are now undergoing thorough profiling to verify their true identity, where they come from, how they found themselves in the forest, etc.”

Mr. Olukolade, however, said whoever the liberated hostages may be, the most important thing was that Nigerians held captives under severe and inhumane conditions had been freed by the troops.

He assured that more hostages would be freed and the military would sustain the operations until Sambisa forest, said to be the last bastion of the Boko Haram terrorists, is fully liberated.

According to the Defence spokesperson, over 13 terrorists camps, including the notorious Tokumbere camp in Sambisa forest, have been captured. Other camps overran and destroyed by troops included, Wulari Bukar, Gangala, Anguwar Bakwai, Jigide, Kotorima, Lagura Bello, Lagina Fulani, among others, he said.

Read More: premiumtimesng

Top Boko Haram Commanders Killed, More Women & Children Rescued As Sambisa Battle Turns Fierce

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Staff Reporter

One soldier died, four others were injured as Boko Haram terrorists battled in vain to retain nine major camps in the dreaded Sambisa forest where more women and children were found and rescued. Troop commanders said hundreds of Boko Haram insurgents were killed in hours of gun battle.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, who made this known to newsmen in a statement, said two major combat tanks and high calibre ammunitions used by the Boko Haram terrorists were recovered while many others were destroyed.

The statement reads in full; “I wish to inform you that today (Wednesday) evening, troops of 7 Division Nigerian Army also cleared several terrorists strong points and training camps within Sambisa forest, Borno State, Nigeria.

“The troops have also rescued additional women and children. They have been evacuated to a safety zone for further processing.

“During the encounter unfortunately we lost a soldier, while 4 others were wounded in action. The troops have also killed several Boko Haram field commanders and foot soldiers and destroyed 2 Armoured Personnel Carriers, 2 Buffalo vehicles mounted with Anti-Aircraft Guns, a truck and several Hilux vehicles.

“The gallant soldiers also recovered 1 Anti-Aircraft Gun, 1 General Purpose Machine Gun, 1 Rocket Propelled Grenade and several AK-47 rifles. Sadly, 1 woman died and 8 other women sustained gun shot wounds.

“So far, the troops have destroyed 9 terrorist camps in the forest. This is in addition to the 4 destroyed yesterday. The destroyed camps includes Wulari Bukar, Gangala, Anguwar Bakwai and Jigide. Others include Kotorima, Lagara Bello and Lagara Fulani among others.

“I am glad to say that troops’ morale is very high as they are poised to accomplish the task of destroying all terrorists camps and rescuing all those held hostage by the terrorists”.
Meanwhile, the Director Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, a Major General, will today provide updates on the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign in North-Eastern Nigeria.

Credit: premiumtimesng

#BringBackOurGirls: Chibok- A Wound Through Which Nigeria Will Bleed Forever! By Soyombo Ayomikun

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Staff Reporter

1. They cried

Shedding bitter tears
For days unending
For hours rolling into
Eternity,
Hoping for that miracle-
Rescue!

2. Thousands the world over
Screamed-
Rescue!
Several marched
Through streets
The world over
Screaming-
Rescue!
While Chibok bled
From the stab
Of hate

3. Now muffled
Are their voices
Gagged
By terror
After screaming
For a year,
Their souls
Battered beyond
Imagination

4. How can we
Fail to remember
The seeds of
Glory
From Chibok,
The hearts bleeding
For Nigeria?

5. How can we
Cease to shed
Tears
And wail
For Chibok?
Even if
It takes
Forever!

6. We want forests
Combed
We want hideouts
Attacked
We want our treasures
Rescued
We want terror
Floored!

7. We wish
To wake up
Someday
From this acerbic dream
And told
It never happened
That Chibok
Was never
Robbed!
If only…

8. We wish
To be told
The tears
Were never
Shed,
That the
Government
Didn’t fail us…
That t’was
All a dream!
If only…

9. We wish
To be told
That no parent
Died
Of anguish
While awaiting
The return
Of a child,
That our
Daughters
Never bled
In chains,
That t’was all
A dream!
If only…

10. We wish
We can safely
Tell our children
That the bombs
Are gone
With the sour
Dream,
That they can now
Return to their
Schools
Without the fear
Of death!
If only…

11. Our missing
Daughters
Are not just
Flesh
And bones
And blood…
They are jewels
We have sorely
Missed!
12. Through Chibok
Nigeria will bleed
Forever…
Chibok will remain
A wound
That will be fresh
Forever…
Though the damage
Has been done
Already,
We still want
Our daughters
Back…
No matter
Who they’ve
Become,
Our outstretched arms
Are waiting
To embrace them,
To wipe
The tears,
To nurse the wound-
CHIBOK!
Please #BringBackOurGirls

Soyombo Ayomikun tweets from @alabaster85

Gwoza Escapee Says Women & Girls Are Trapped, Read Full Account Of The Story

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A 38-year-old woman (names withheld), who escaped from Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, Monday, said yesterday that hundreds of women kidnapped by Boko Haram sect were still trapped and kept in various houses in the town.

She said since the insurgents captured the town, many women and young girls, numbering over 100, had been relocated from Sambisa Forest, were brought in by the sect and kept in Gwoza.

Gwoza, about 250km south of Maiduguri, the state capital, was declared Islamic caliphate by Shekau immediately after taking over the town, with over 50 policemen still missing and scores of residents dead.

Narrating her ordeal to journalists in one of the Internally Displaced Persons Camps, IDPs, in Maiduguri, the escapee said they were kept in one of the beautiful houses in Gwoza, along with some young girls brought in from Sambisa Forest by the sect.

‘My escape’

On how she escaped from Gwoza, she said: “There was a loud bang, suspected to be a bomb explosion, near our house. It forced us to break the wall and escape, while two of the young girls died.

“Two others also sustained injuries during the blasts and shooting that engulfed the town. As I speak with you now, many of these young girls and women are still trapped in Gwoza.”

The woman said she later found herself before former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna, in Madagali, who assisted her by calling her brother in Yola.

The mother of five noted that she was happy in Maiduguri, where she met her husband, who had earlier escaped, doing fine in one of the IDP camps, although she did not say anything about the whereabouts of her children.

She said: “I thank God for saving my life from the hands of Boko Haram. We have been under their control in the last three months; they kept us with many young girls.

“They gave us food every day, but they did not allow us to go out. Sometimes the leader will go round all the places and preach their ideology to us.”

Credit: vanguardngr

How Attractive Jihadists Lure UK Girls to ISIS

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Staff Reporter

“Attractive” jihadist fighters can be “eye candy” to lure in British Muslim girls, a former extremist has said.

Ayesha – a false name to protect her identity – told BBC Newsnight she was taught to see the UK as “our enemy”.

She now rejects that ideology, but said her ex-allies would regard the militant known as “Jihadi John” as an “idol”.

Three schoolgirls recently left the UK, apparently to join militants in Syria – leading to questions over why British girls would make that choice.

Ayesha, from the Midlands, is now in her early 20s and said she was first contacted by extremists when she was a student aged 16 or 17.

She said a man sent her a Facebook message saying she was “very attractive” and telling her: “Now’s the time to cover that beauty because you’re so precious.”

Ayesha said the message was “bordering on harassment” but it was the “best way I could have been targeted” because it played on her religious beliefs and told her she would “end up in hell” if she did not obey.

Credit: BBC

ISIS No ‘Romantic Adventure’, Australia Warns Girls

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A worrying number of Australian women are heading to Iraq and Syria to become so-called Islamic State group “jihadi brides”, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Thursday, warning against notions of a “romantic adventure”.

At least 110 Australians have left to fight alongside militants in the Middle East and security officials said between 30 and 40 women were among them or were actively supporting the group in Australia.

“Sadly we are seeing a younger cohort seeking to join the conflict in Syria and Iraq and an increasing number of young females,” Bishop said, responding to the high-profile case this week of three British teenage girls heading to Syria.

“This defies logic. Family and friends need to reach out to young people at risk before it’s too late.”

She cited the case of 22-year-old Amira Karroum who left her Sydney home just before Christmas and died in fighting in Syria.

“Her death was not martyrdom, it was a tragic senseless loss,” said Bishop.

She added that many women heading to conflict zones were either attracted to male foreign terrorist fighters, were accompanying their partner, or actually looking for a husband and being told online they could find one in Syria and Iraq.

Bishop warned they faced a brutal regime that treated women appallingly.

“This is a terrorist organisation that has an appalling track record when it comes to women,” she told ABC radio.

“They actually have online instructions on how to treat a sex slave. They encourage sexual assault on children who haven’t even reached puberty.

“So their attitude towards women is utterly appalling and so young women shouldn’t be led to believe that there’s some romantic adventure attached to supporting Daesh (Islamic State) and similar terrorist organisations.”

An estimated 550 women from across Europe have also travelled to join the jihadists and Bishop said Australia was working with Muslim communities to highlight the risks.

“We have a number of community initiatives and programmes, working with local communities, working with schools, working with families,” she said.

“Our initiatives in tackling the spread of online extremist content on websites is also part of that, working with local mosques, working with community groups.”

Her comments came as an Australian man who travelled to Syria to battle militants was reportedly killed — the first Westerner to die fighting alongside the Kurds.

“An Australian man was killed in an assault on Tuesday by the Islamic State against a position of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) near Tal Hamis in Hasakeh province,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

Australia’s foreign affairs department said it was aware of the reports but its “capacity to confirm reports of deaths in either Syria or Iraq is extremely limited”.

“Australians who become involved in overseas conflicts are putting their own lives in mortal danger,” it added.

Credit: AFP