Nigerian pop star Adokiye Kyrian has offered the terrorist Islamist group Boko Haram her virginity in exchange for the freedom of more than 200 girls abducted by the group from the town of Chibok this year. The singer has been vocally critical of the hashtag campaign to bring awareness to the problem.
Kyrian spoke to the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard this week and made clear that she would offer herself in exchange for the young girls kidnapped from Chibok and believed to have been sold into marriage slavery and forcibly converted to Islam. The star, which the newspaper described as looking “hot and rather willing with her liberated personality,” explained that she was at least older than the kidnapped girls.
“Those little girls, where they are and what could be happening to them. It is just unfair. They are too young. I wish I could offer myself in exchange,” she told the paper. “They are between 12- and 15-year-old girls for Christ sake. I am older and more experienced. Even if 10 to 12 men have to take me every night, I don’t care. Just release these girls and let them go back to their parents.” Kyrian reiterated her opinion when being informed of what Boko Haram is reported to do to young women whom they capture, and which Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has confirmed is the objective of kidnapping young women and girls.
Kyrian’s comments have stirred controversy online, where some have criticized her comments as being self-centered and an attempt to use the tragedy to gain free publicity. Others have been supportive, while some have merely been crass:
Kyrian has been critical of the attempts to bring awareness to the situation in Nigeria via the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, the UK Independent reports. “Voiceless Kids are Out There gettin into different troubles we dont even knw about & all we do daily is Hold White Paper #BringBackOurGirls,” she tweeted on Wednesday.
Boko Haram has not issued any public response to Kyrian’s comments. The group has been extremely active this week, however. This week, the group abducted another 60 girls and 31 boys from a string of towns in northern Nigeria. Married women were said to have been kidnapped with their children in tow, and about 30 are said to have been killed during the attack.