About 30 people comprising
teenagers, adult males and females were reportedly abducted by suspected
Boko Haram gunmen in villages around Mafa town of Borno State as the
insurgents sustained their forceful conscriptions to beef up their
depleting ranks, government officials have said.
Though both the police and military officials in Borno State have not officially confirmed the latest abductions and killing of villagers, the chairman of the local government caretaker committee, Shettima Maina, told newsmen in Maiduguri that the abductions commenced since last Wednesday.
The council chairman said the insurgents would first attack the villages around Mafa town, which is about 40 kilometres east of Maiduguri, and then select young girls and boys who they take away in their pickup vans.
LEADERSHIP gathered that one of the worst hit villages was Ndongo which the insurgents attacked on Friday using heavy explosives and firearms, killing many people.
“At present, there is massive abduction of youths by suspected Boko Haram insurgents,” said the council chairman. “We are appealing to the federal government to come to our aid because the insurgents have invaded our communities. From the information available to us, about 30 youths have been taken away and the insurgents are tormenting the communities by carrying out daily attacks.”
The visibly disturbed chairman, who was sworn into office last month, lamented that his people were extremely terrified by the persistent killings, and most had fled to Maiduguri, the state capital.
“The mass influx of our people to Maiduguri and other neighbouring towns for fear of being killed or losing their children to the insurgents is a clear testimony that we are passing through difficult times,” he said.
Residents of Mafa, who fled to Maiduguri, remarked that Boko Haram gunmen not only kill and abduct residents, they also steal livestock and food items in the villages.
“After killing our people, the insurgents also stole about 300 cows and foodstuff,” said Mallam Ashiekh Mustapha, a community leader in Ndongo.
Borno State police public relations officer Gideon Jubrin in a phone interview said the state command was unaware of any abductions and promised to get back to journalists as soon as he got any information in that regard.
An official of the Department of State Security (DSS), who spoke off the record, also denied knowledge of another human theft of such magnitude.
The officer said, “We have not heard of such huge kidnap of women or girls, but I believe the said abductions could be the ones being carried out on different occasions and days since the beginning of last week.” source Leadership
Though both the police and military officials in Borno State have not officially confirmed the latest abductions and killing of villagers, the chairman of the local government caretaker committee, Shettima Maina, told newsmen in Maiduguri that the abductions commenced since last Wednesday.
The council chairman said the insurgents would first attack the villages around Mafa town, which is about 40 kilometres east of Maiduguri, and then select young girls and boys who they take away in their pickup vans.
LEADERSHIP gathered that one of the worst hit villages was Ndongo which the insurgents attacked on Friday using heavy explosives and firearms, killing many people.
“At present, there is massive abduction of youths by suspected Boko Haram insurgents,” said the council chairman. “We are appealing to the federal government to come to our aid because the insurgents have invaded our communities. From the information available to us, about 30 youths have been taken away and the insurgents are tormenting the communities by carrying out daily attacks.”
The visibly disturbed chairman, who was sworn into office last month, lamented that his people were extremely terrified by the persistent killings, and most had fled to Maiduguri, the state capital.
“The mass influx of our people to Maiduguri and other neighbouring towns for fear of being killed or losing their children to the insurgents is a clear testimony that we are passing through difficult times,” he said.
Residents of Mafa, who fled to Maiduguri, remarked that Boko Haram gunmen not only kill and abduct residents, they also steal livestock and food items in the villages.
“After killing our people, the insurgents also stole about 300 cows and foodstuff,” said Mallam Ashiekh Mustapha, a community leader in Ndongo.
Borno State police public relations officer Gideon Jubrin in a phone interview said the state command was unaware of any abductions and promised to get back to journalists as soon as he got any information in that regard.
An official of the Department of State Security (DSS), who spoke off the record, also denied knowledge of another human theft of such magnitude.
The officer said, “We have not heard of such huge kidnap of women or girls, but I believe the said abductions could be the ones being carried out on different occasions and days since the beginning of last week.” source Leadership
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