Chibok Girl Who Survived Multiple Forced Marriages Gives Birth Days After Rescue

One of the Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists nine years ago, gave birth to a child shortly after being rescued by the Nigerian army, it has been revealed. 

Hauwa Maltha, now 26, was among the 276 schoolgirls taken from their dormitory on April 14, 2014. 

Maltha was with another of the girls kidnapped from Chibok when they were rescued during a military operation in the Sambisa forest on April 21. 

According to military officials, Maltha was eight months and two weeks pregnant when rescued. She gave birth on April 28 to a healthy baby boy in an Army medical facility, the military said in a statement.

Maltha and Esther Marcus, also 26, were teenagers when they were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists. In the time since they were forced into multiple marriages with their captors, and have given birth to several children.

According to Major General Ibrahim Ali, the Theater Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the counterinsurgency effort in northeast Nigeria, Maltha was forced to marry a Boko Haram member named Salman, the cameraman to the slain Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau. 

“At Gulukos, Hauwa married Salman and later bore two children to Mallam Muhammad in Gobara before he was also killed in Ukuba terrorist enclaves in Sambisa forest during clashes between JAS/ISWAP,” said the Army General.

The general also reported that Esther Marcus and her one-year-old daughter, were rescued by troops during the same operation in Lagara, in the Sambisa forest. 

During her captivity, Marcus was forced to marry a fighter named Garba, also known as Garus. Garba was also killed during a military offensive. 

Later, Marcus was married to another member of the group named Abba in the Ukuba terrorist enclaves in the Sambisa forest until troops rescued her.

Following her rescue, the woman has undergone a thorough medical examination along with her baby.

Marcus and Maltha are both from the Kibaku ethnic group.

In recent months, Nigerian military troops in the northeast region have successfully rescued approximately 14 Chibok girls. Those rescued include Aisha Grema, Hannatu Musa, Sera Luka, Ruth Bitrus, Mary Dauda, Hauwa Joseph, Falmata Lawan, Asabe Ali , Jankai Yamal, Yana Pogu, Rejoice Sanki, and Hassana Adamu.

There are 94 others still missing.

General Ibrahim stated that all the rescued girls had undergone medical evaluation and treatment at the Army medical services facility and a hospital before being handed over to the Borno State Government.

The military say they have recused 131 other kidnapped Nigerians in the past two weeks.