MAIDUGURI — Widows in Borno, yesterday, appealed to members of the Boko Haram sect to take advantage of the proposed Federal Government amnesty programme and drop their arms.
A cross section of the widows affected by activities of the sect made the appeal in interviews in Maiduguri.
Hajiya Yagunsu Umar, a mother of five, who lost her husband in 2011, said the Boko Haram violent campaign had negatively affected women in the state.
“My husband was killed in September 2011 shortly after returning from the mosque in the evening in Gwange, Layin Tanki, Maiduguri. I had to move to my brother’s house in Ruwan-Zafi,” Umar said.
She added that her brother was also killed two weeks after she moved into his house, adding: “My brother Alhaji Modu Ibrahim, a big-time groundnut oil dealer, was also shot at his shop in Gamboru market.”
Malama Falmata Ibrahim, another widow, corroborated her claim, saying the Boko Haram crisis had impacted negatively on the family.
She said: “Women have suffered most in the ongoing Boko Haram crisis; we have lost our husbands, parents, children and even fiances. We are appealing to the sect to please take advantage of the planned amnesty and initiate talks with the government.”
Malama Hassana Aliyu, also a widow, who lost her husband in 2010, called on the sect to eschew anger and embrace peace and dialogue with the government.
Another widow, Madam Caro Mamza, also urged the government not to relent on its ongoing effort at resolving the Boko Haram issue.
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