Amina Ali Nkeki is a Nigerian former hostage of Boko Haram.[1] She was one of 276 female students the group kidnapped from Chibok in 2014. After 57 of the girls escaped in the first few months, the remaining 219 were held for several years. Of this larger group, Ali was the first freed.[2][3][4] She was found on 17 May 2016 by Civilian Joint Task Force along with a four-month-old child and an alleged Boko Haram member, Mohammed Hayatu, who described himself as her husband. All three were severely malnourished.[2][5]

Amina Ali
Born
Amina Ali Nkeki

Known forAbducted during the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping

Aftermath of kidnapping edit

Ali was taken to the house of the leader of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Chibok, Aboku Gaji. After he recognised her, the group then reunited her with her parents.[6] Ali also stated that 6 of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls had died.[7]

She met Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on 19 May.[8] In June 2016, the Bring Back Our Girls group as well as Ali's parents started demanding to know her whereabouts as they had not seen her since her meeting with Buhari.[9] It was later discovered that she and her baby were being held in a government facility where they were to be deradicalised. In her interview with Reuters in August 2016, she stated that she was not comfortable with the way she was being kept from her husband Hayatu and that she still thought about him.[10] She also stated that she just wanted to go home.[11] While 21 Chibok schoolgirls who were formerly held by Boko Haram were allowed to visit their families in 2016 for Christmas, Ali and another girl, Maryam Ali Maiyanga were not, due to being reportedly deemed psychologically unfit to return home.[12]

In 2017, Ali was studying at the American University in Nigeria, with the aim of becoming an accountant.[13]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Rescued Chibok girl: Who is Amina Ali Nkeki?". BBC News. 2016-05-19. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  2. ^ a b "Boko Haram: Nigerian schoolgirl Amina Ali abducted by extremists in Chibok found, officials say". ABC News. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Amina Ali rescued Chibok girl raises hopes for others held by Boko Haram". Vanguard (Nigeria). 18 May 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  4. ^ Aislinn Laing (18 May 2016). "Chibok girls: first missing Nigerian schoolgirl kidnapped by Boko Haram found alive, campaigners say". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  5. ^ Lamb, Christina (2016-05-22). "Parents raise hopes as Chibok escapee says other girls alive". The Times. U.K. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  6. ^ "Chibok girls: 'First kidnapped girl found' in Nigeria". BBC News. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  7. ^ "Boko Haram abductees freed in Nigeria". BBC. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  8. ^ "Chibok girls: Amina Ali Nkeki meets President Buhari". BBC News. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  9. ^ Jasmine Buari (2016-06-24). "Family of rescued Chibok girl demands her whereabouts". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  10. ^ Adam Withnall (2016-08-17). "Freed Chibok girl says she still misses her Boko Haram 'husband'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  11. ^ Adam Withnall (2016-08-17). ""I just want to go home", says first Chibok girl rescued from Boko Haram". Pulse News Agency. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  12. ^ Kabiru R. Anwar (2016-12-24). "21 Chibok girls excited to visit home 2 years after ordeal". Daily Trust. Archived from the original on 2016-12-31. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
  13. ^ Ali Abare Abubakar, John Dyer (23 July 2017). "'That I am alive today is a miracle': Nigerian schoolgirl describes capture by Boko Haram". USA Today. Retrieved 16 March 2019.