Changing her son's nappy, a wry smile flickered across Aisha's face as she recalled the power she wielded as the wife of a leading Boko Haram commander, living in the jihadists' forest stronghold in northeast Nigeria. Yet some of these women, like Aisha, gained respect, influence and standing within Boko Haram, which has waged a bloody campaign to create an Islamic state in the northeast. Halima, the former wife of a Boko Haram militant, poses for a photo at a deradicalisation programme in Maiduguri, Nigeria, January 25, 2017. Also read: Female photographer gives 'Instagram voice' to Nigeria's Boko Haram victimsChildren born to Boko Haram and those orphaned by the militant group play together in the Future Prowess school in Maiduguri, Nigeria, January 23, 2017. Children born to Boko Haram and those orphaned by the militant group play together in the Future Prowess school in Maiduguri, Nigeria, January 23, 2017.

Source: The Star February 11, 2017 08:37 UTC