Two years after she and five other young women miraculously staged a daring escape from Boko Haram’s captivity, Susan still cannot get over the trauma of being held away from home for nearly four years.

She is one of the six girls whose story HumAngle reported in the ‘454 Days’ series. It is nearly two years since we published a follow-up story on Susan, during which she lamented her continued stigmatisation and subtle rejection by her own community members, who still see her as associated with those who forcibly took her away back in April 2021.

On April 17, 2022, a courageous group of women, led by Jummai, a humanitarian worker, undertook a daring escape from the clutches of Boko Haram in the challenging terrain around Lake Chad. (Boko Haram is a violent extremist group that has wreaked havoc in northeastern Nigeria since 2009.) This escape proved successful despite facing numerous failed attempts that had put their lives at risk. HumAngle was able to interview some of these girls.

Jummai and her fellow survivors shared the harrowing tale of life in a Boko Haram stronghold, where they endured servitude as a result of refusing to embrace the terrorists’ beliefs and marry their members. The escapees recounted their abduction experiences and the perilous journey in and out of the terror camps. However, most of them continue to grapple with untreated trauma stemming from their time in captivity. 

HumAngle reached out to Susan for updates about her well-being. She currently lives in a quiet community in Adamawa, a state in northeastern Nigeria, where her displaced family members have resettled.

Strange voice

When this reporter’s call finally went through to Susan’s telephone line, a strange male voice answered. After a brief introduction, the voice calmly responded, “Sorry, Susan is not close to her phone… she stepped out and left the phone behind… I’ll let her call you back when she returns.”

Hours later, Susan called back.

“Yes, I got married in April this year,” she explained, and that was her husband on the phone earlier — a man she met years after regaining freedom.

“We knew each other not quite long ago, fell in love, and eventually got married. He is a nice young man who works with a private employer here in our town.”

Coincidentally, several significant events in Susan’s life occurred in April. Three years ago, she was kidnapped by invading terrorists in April 2021. She did not have any chance to escape until April 17, 2022. Following her escape, Susan eventually got married on April 13, 2024.

“I’ve never thought about it,” she said. 

Life after captivity

Susan said she had to continue dealing with stigma for some time, but her decision to develop a thick skin and mind her affairs has helped her carry on.

“I still hear some negative comments, but not as much as before. You know, things like this gradually fade from people’s memories, and the way I deal with it has helped a lot,” she said.

“It was because I tried to ignore people’s behaviour towards me and tried to live a normal life that I was able to associate with people and eventually even got married.”

Although she tries as much as possible to put her years in the jungle with Boko Haram terrorists out of her mind, she said the thought of other victims who couldn’t escape with her still haunts her every night.

“There is no night that the thought of other girls we left behind as we escaped doesn’t trouble my heart,” she said, her voice heavy with sorrow. “I don’t know what has become of their fate. Are they alive? Have they been rescued? Are they still out there in the Lake Chad islands?” 

These thoughts still worry her so much that sometimes she has to deal with mood swings.

Susan’s plight is like that of many other young girls who deal with trauma many years after their encounter with terrorists. They lack access to basic post-trauma counselling services, and government officials hardly check on them after reuniting them with their families, who often lack the means to afford continued psychosocial support.

Still unable to recover losses

Before her captivity, Susan, a trained seamstress, had a thriving business in Kubri, a village in Adamawa, that helped support her poor family. Unfortunately, her shop was attacked, and everything in it was burnt the day Boko Haram terrorists invaded their community.

“Since my return, I have been idle and jobless because my family cannot afford to help me secure another sewing machine and other things I need as a seamstress,” she said. 

“It is so painful that one cannot do anything to support one’s poor parents. I hope one day, I’ll be able to generate money through other menial jobs to buy a sewing machine. My husband earns a meagre income and is trying hard to keep food on the table. But the economy is very tough, making it difficult to save money.”

Despite the challenges, Susan remains hopeful for a better future. She believes that with perseverance and the support of well-meaning individuals or organisations, she might be able to rebuild her life and career.

“I am not giving up. I know that one day, things will get better. Maybe someone will hear my story and decide to help. I just want to be able to work again, support my family, and live a normal life,” she said with a determined voice.