Washington D.C., May 12, 2016 / 02:20 am
"I have a dream of a safe Nigeria." This is the hope voiced by one of the Nigerian schoolgirls who escaped captivity by the terror group Boko Haram, speaking before members of Congress on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
"Sa'a," was one of hundreds of Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram on April 14, 2014. She testified Wednesday before the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.
She said in her testimony that she dreamed of "a Nigeria where girls like me are not made into suicide bombers, and little boys are not routinely stolen and turned into terrorists. A Nigeria where (if) even the worst happens and children are stolen, every effort is made for their swift rescue, and those who can help, help, and those who can help can speak for those who cannot speak for themselves."
Boko Haram, which means "Western education is sinful," is a Nigerian Islamist militant group regarded as the deadliest terror group in the world. The group is responsible for attacks on villages, schools, and churches in Northern Nigeria, killing thousands of Christians and other Muslims in the last few years. After losing some of the land it controlled recently, the group has sent more children and girls on suicide bombing missions.