WOMEN recently rescued from Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State have delivered five babies at an internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp at Kalambaina in Sokoto State over the last week.  

Over the last two months, under the terms of a regional pact, neighbours Niger Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad have launched a joint offensive against Boko Haram. Earlier this month, the Nigerian Army rescued after 200 girls and 93 women from Boko Haram in Sambisa Forest and a week later, this was followed up with a further rescuing of 234 women and children. 

Altogether, it is believed that about 1,000 females have been rescued from Boko Haram by the Nigerian military over the last two months. They have been handed over to humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organisations and the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema), who have established IDP camps for them. 

Between May 7 and 9, the women at the Kalambaina camp delivered five children, according to Thickman Tanimu, the assistant head of Nema's Sokoto zonal operations office. He added that three were girls, while two were boys, with two of the babies delivered on May 7 on transit to Sokoto, a further two being born on May 8 and one born on May 9. 

According to Mr Tanimu, who said 2,000 displaced persons, including the new babies, were evacuated by the agency from Geidam in Yobe State to Sokoto, the mothers and children were hale and hearty.  He added that nearly 80% of the affected people were from Kebbi State, while the rest were from Sokoto State. 

Mr Tanimu said: “They were earlier displaced due to insurgent activities in Doron-Baga in Borno and they fled to Gegeme in Difa in Niger Republic as refugees. However, they were also unfortunately deported back to Geidam in Yobe State after an insurgent attack at their IDPs camp in Niger Republic. 

“It was from Geidam that the IDPs were screened by Nema and security agencies and the agency evacuated them to Sokoto. Affected persons from Sokoto State had almost been evacuated by the state government to their various towns and villages across the 23 local governments of the state." 

According to the United Nations Population Fund, hundreds of girls and women recently rescued from the Boko Haram militants may now face stigma from their communities. Its chief executive Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, said that the most important thing now is to restore their dignity.