Boko Haram Kidnapping in Nigeria: 91 People Abducted in West Africa; Infamous Terrorist Group Suspected
Terrorist organization Boko Haram is suspected of abducting 91 people last week in Nigeria.
In total, more than 61 women and girls and 31 schoolboys were taken from their homes in villages across northeast Nigeria. Around 30 people were killed during the attacks. Residents who managed to escape faced a 15-mile trek to seek help.
This comes just two months after the group abducted more than 300 schoolgirls in northeastern Nigeria. The mass abduction received international attention as well as strong criticism of the Nigerian military's ability to protect its citizens.
The people were abducted during attacks on villages south of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, between Thursday and Sunday.
According to Nigeria's Premium Times, the local police have stated that they were unaware of the abduction and the publication has been unable to independently verify the claims. People from the village insisted that the attacks did occur and that the victims were mostly young girls and babies.
The Premium Times also reported that an anonymous source from federal security Damboa said "it is actually very true that over 60 women were forcefully taken away by the terrorists, but I am not the highest officer to make a confirmation of that," the source said.
"But we heard that some of the survivors who do not have means of transporting themselves especially old women and men trekked to Lassa in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, which is 25 kilometers, and others went to Gulak in Adamawa State where they are now taking refuge."
Secretary of Damboa Local Government, Mondu Mustapha, neither confirmed nor denied the events, stating that only the Chairman has the authority to speak on such matters. The chairman couldn't be reached by phone, as all lines weren't connected, according to the Premium Times.
According to the Associated Press, there is no way to safely and independently confirm the report which came from Kummabza, 95 miles from the military headquarters.
Boko Haram has also been suspected of bomb attacks on venues hosting World Cup viewings. Attacks have occurred almost daily in northeastern Nigeria. The terrorists have been demanding the release of detained members in exchange for hostages but President Goodluck Jonathan has refused to consider the swap.
According the The Los Angeles Times, the activists who have been campaigning for the girl' release, using the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, have been accused by Nigerian authorities of being aligned with Nigeria's opposition, and acting out of political motive. The activists have denied these claims.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com