Years in captivity - now free
At the age of ten, Elisabeth (20) was abducted by nonstate armed groups. After three dramatic escape attempts, she finally managed to save both herself and her newborn daughter.
Elisabeth (20) in her present home, northeast in Nigeria.
Elisabeth was only ten years old when her life was suddenly torn apart. In her hometown outside Maiduguri in northern Nigeria, she was abducted by nonstate armed groups.
“I didn’t understand what was happening. I was a child,” she says.
We met Elisabeth at Norwegian Ahurch Aid’s safespace centre for women in northern Nigeria. Along with the many women who visit the centre every day, various therapy activities, training sessions and livelihood programmes are offered. Elisabeth was held captive for a total of seven years. She now spends many hours at the centre.
Without children – and punished for it
Year after year, Elisabeth lived in captivity and in a forced marriage. Her husband was furious because she did not become pregnant — but of course she couldn’t, as she was still a child. When she had her first monthly cycle at the age of 15, she became pregnant shortly afterwards.
She gave birth in the middle of a military raid. She delivered alone in the forest, terrified and with no help. The baby died from complications, and her husband beat her and denied her food because she had “failed to save” the baby.
Took her child – and locked her away
When she later became pregnant again, labour started while the military was attacking the village. Once again she gave birth alone in the bush. She tried to flee with her newborn, but was caught. Nonstate armed groups took the baby from her and locked her in a dark room without windows.
“They said I would die in there,” Elisabeth says.
She got another chance to escape but was quickly captured. The fighters held her down and shouted that they would slaughter her on the spot.
Escape through fire
After some time, the group held a larger meeting. Elisabeth saw her chance to flee. She took her baby, now one month old, and ran into the bush. When they discovered her escape, they set the grass on fire to flush her out.
She crawled through the grass all night, smoke burning her eyes and nose. She prayed that the baby wouldn’t cry.
“I was terrified. I prayed to God that we would survive,” she says.
The men fired shots into the grass, but miraculously they were neither hit nor discovered.
A new life – and hope for the future
Eventually, Elisabeth reached a village where local residents helped her get to an internally displaced persons camp in Damara in Pulka. Her father had been killed by nonstate armed groups, but her mother was left alive. Today, Elisabeth, her daughter, and her mother live together in the camp.
Eventually, Elisabeth reached a village where local residents helped her get to an internally displaced persons camp in Damara in Pulka. Her father had been killed by nonstate armed groups, but her mother was left alive. Today, Elisabeth, her daughter, and her mother live together in the camp.
When she arrived, she heard about the NCA safespace centre and sought help. There, she received regular psychosocial support and the opportunity to participate in a sewing training programme. She is now attending vocational training, has recently received her own sewing machine, and makes a living by sewing and selling small garments.
“Even though I lost my own childhood and schooling, my dream is that my daughter at least will be able to go to school,” she says.
Church of Norway Aid runs several safespace centres for women in northern Nigeria. At some of them, up to 500 women participate in psychosocial and livelihood activities every day. The centres also provide many young girls with training and information about domestic violence and how to recognize and break out of harmful patterns of abuse. In addition, the organisation operates a free helpline, where 80–100 women call daily from across Borno State seeking help related to domestic violence.
