Mother of Boko Haram Leader Speaks Out

 

A woman who claims to be the mother of a militant¹ leader says she does not know if her son is alive or dead.

Abubakar Shekau is the head of the Boko Haram militant group. Boko Haram launched² its campaign against Nigeria’s government in 2009. Nigerian officials blame the group for more than 30,000 deaths in the country’s northeast and the Lake Chad area.

A woman claming to be his mother recently met with a VOA reporter in Shekau, a village in the Nigerian state of Yobe.

Community leaders identified the woman as Falmata Abubakar. They said that Abubakar Shekau’s father was a local clergyman who died a few years ago.

Falmata Abubakar said she had never spoken to a reporter before VOA made contact with her. She added that she does not know where her son is hiding.

"I don't know if he's alive or dead. I don't know. It's only God who knows. For 15 years, I haven't seen him," she said.

Townspeople say they often deny being from the hometown of Abubakar Shekau because others may believe they have ties to Boko Haram.

Growing up in Shekau

Falmata Abubakar says her son left Shekau as a boy to continue his Islamic education in the city of Maiduguri. Maiduguri has been a center of religious studies for hundreds of years.

Abubakar Shekau was an almajiri. In the generations-old tradition, almajirai are sent by their parents to study the Quran, Islam’s holy book, in schools locally known as a tsangaya. In the classroom, a teacher trains the 20 or more, sometimes hundreds of, male students at a time to memorize the complete Quran.

Almajirai often go up and down the streets, asking people for food. It is thought that Abubakar Shekau did the same. His mother says that during his studies he met Mohammed Yusuf, the founder³ of Boko Haram.

Yusuf believed that a Western education violates⁴ religious law. Falmata says her son was brainwashed.

"Since Shekau met with Mohammed Yusuf, I didn't see him again," she told VOA. "Yes, he's my son and every mother loves her son, but we have different characters. He brought a lot of problem to many people. Where can I meet him to tell him that these things he is doing is very bad? He brought many problems to many people, but I am praying for God to show him the good way," she said.

In 2009, Nigerian security⁵ agents killed Mohammed Yusuf, and Abubakar Shekau became the leader of Boko Haram.

Campaign of violence

Destroying schools is at the heart of the group's teachings⁶. The United Nations Children’s Fund⁷ says Boko Haram forces have attacked more than 1,400 schools.

Members of the group attacked the first primary school in northeastern Nigeria in 2010 and 2013. The head of the school and his assistant were killed.

In 2014, Boko Haram killed 59 students at a federal⁸ school in Buni Yadi, Yobe State. It was one of the most deadly school attacks in Nigerian history. Currently⁹, the school is being rebuilt.

In February of 2018, Boko Haram fighters kidnapped more than 100 students from a girls' secondary¹⁰ school in the town of Dapchi. The group returned the students a month later, but kept Leah Sharibu, reportedly because she refused to accept Islam in exchange for her freedom.

Her mother, Rebecca, and her brother say they believe that she is still alive.

In 2014, Boko Haram fighters seized about 100 girls from their school in the town of Chibok. The kidnapping made news around the world. The Bring Back Our Girls activists¹¹ are still demanding the freedom for at least 100 Chibok Girls.

Falmata Abubakar says she can never condemn¹² her son, but he has become someone she doesn't recognize.

"He just took his own character and went away. This is not the character I gave him. I don't know what this type of behavior is. It's only God who knows."

I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.

Words in This Story

brainwash – v. to cause (someone) to think or believe something by using methods that make a person unable to think normally¹³

character – n. the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves, someone's personality

primary – adj. of or related to the simplest things

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 violates   

亵渎( violate的第三人称单数 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Anyone who violates law and discipline must firmly be slapped down. 对于任何违法乱纪的人都必须坚决予以打击。
• The country violates the international agreements. 那个国家违背了国际协议。

5 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。

6 teachings   

n.教学( teaching的名词复数 )；教学工作；教诲；学说

参考例句：

• We must never be unworthy of our teachers' untiring and sincere teachings. 我们决不要辜负老师的谆谆教导。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Party's teachings were ringing in her ears. 党的教导在她耳边回响。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。

8 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

9 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

10 secondary   

adj.中级的，中等的，次要的；n.次要位置，副手

参考例句：

• It's a question of secondary importance.这是个次要的问题。
• Secondary school means junior school and high school.中学是指初中和高中。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

13 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。