BEVERLY HILLS, May 12, (THEWILL) – Barely a week after 82 Chibok girls were released in a prisoner swap
between the Nigerian government and the Boko Haram sect, an uncle to one of the 21 girls released last October, Peter Joseph has accused the federal government of subjecting the girls to another form of imprisonment.
He disclosed that more than six months after the 21 Chibok girls were released by Boko Haram, his niece, Sarah, is still in a government rehabilitation camp where the girls rarely see their families.
Joseph told The Stream’s Femi Oke that, “we were very happy to learn of the news that she was released. But we are not very much impressed with the way the government is handling the whole rehabilitation
process.”
Since her release, he is said to have only seen his niece once, when he traveled to Chibok last December. Even at that, the relative says there were set time limits on visits, and many topics – like her experience as a prisoner – were off limits.
He acknowledged calling her often, but said she is only allowed to talk for two-three minutes before being cut off. He said his niece has told him that “only females can sneak in to see them sometimes but males are not allowed into the compound”.
The Chibok girl’s uncle declared emphatically that, “Nobody is allowed to see them. So it’s like another imprisonment, but this one has to do with the government.”
Meanwhile, Joseph’s sister, Elizabeth is still being held by the Boko Haram terrorists.
The Stream, which is a social media community with its own daily TV show on Al Jazeera English, also discussed the dangers of isolation; what rehabilitation means in this situation; and whether the ‘Chibok
girls’ have become too famous to ever truly be free.
