Boko Haram massacre in Gwoza

Boko Haram massacre in Gwoza

By BBC World Service

In 2014, Boko Haram militants drove into Gwoza in north-east Nigeria and began an assault that would leave hundreds of people dead.

Ruoyah, who was just 14, hid in her house for eight hours under continuous fire.

She says when she finally opened the door to leave her house she says: "There were corpses everywhere, we even saw the corpse of our neighbour in our front door."

Ruoyah managed to escape to Cameroon, but her sister was kidnapped by Boko Haram militants.

She was taken into the Sambisa forest where she was forced to marry a militant and starved.

A few months later, Boko Haram's leader unilaterally declared that Gwoza was a caliphate.

Ruoyah now lives in an internally displaced persons camp, she speaks to Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

Archive: Channels Television.

(Photo: Boko Haram. Credit: AFP)

-
-
Heart UK
Mute/Un-mute