Ruth McDowall, Survivors of Boko Haram abduction (Portrait)

I am openly embraced by three young ladies running up to me greeting me as Aunty Ruth. During five years living in northern Nigeria, I have seen many haunted faces, but these girls look different, haunted and also broken. I wanted to photograph them looking like the strong resilient survivors they are, but as they sat slumped in their chairs, I had the heart breaking realisation that at such a young age these beautiful young people have lost their innocence and experienced the worst of humanity They are just a few of the many youth that have been abducted by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. Boko Haram has been rapidly increasing attacks in Northern Nigeria. Sadly young girls and boys have now become a target. Girls are used for tactical reasons and a form of punishment to them and their communities. And hundreds of young boys have been taken to use as fighters, and indoctrinate them in Boko Haram ideologies. Up to 500 girls have been abducted since as far back 2009 from the north-eastern Borno and Yobe states. Boys and girls have been abducted while, travelling on the roads, attending school, working on farms, and from their homes during attacks on villages. They are put through psychological abuse, forced labour, forced marriage, forced to convert to Islam, and become victims of sexual violence and rape. Boko Haram are taking young people on operations and teaching them to carry ammunitions and eventually to kill. A recent development is young girls being sent out as suicide bombers. There are now reports coming out from escaped abductees that the Chibok girls still in captivity are now notorious fighters Some have been fortunate to escape however many still remain captive. It is not uncommon for abuses against children and youth to go unprosecuted in Nigeria. A code of silence prevents justice taking place, robbing them of their rights as the victim. More often than not youth bare the brunt of conflict.

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