Boko Haram: Nigeria's crisis
The Heavily armed Boko Haram
gunmen invaded the town of Mafa in Borno state Friday and Saturday and
seized 30 boys and girls, local leaders said.
The news of the
kidnappings was slow to emerge due to lack of telecom service in the
region, where most telecom towers have been destroyed in Boko Haram's
five-year insurgency against Nigeria's government.
"In the past two days
Boko Haram insurgents stormed Mafa and abducted 30 boys aged 13 and
above and girls aged 11 and above," Mafa local government chairman
Shettima Maina said.
Despite so-called ceasefire, Boko Haram kidnappings continue
"They took them away to their base in the bush, and we believe they are going to use them as foot soldiers," Maina said.
Mallam Ashiekh Mustapha,
the local chief of Mafa who confirmed the abductions, said the
kidnappers also stole 300 cows from the farming community in the raid.
The Nigerian government
has said Boko Haram has denied involvement in the kidnappings, but the
group has issued no public statement on the issue.
Regardless, Boko Haram's
near-daily raids have prompted an exodus of residents from Mafa and
nearby villages to the Borno state capital of Maiduguri to escape the
marauding insurgents, Mustapha said.
On Thursday Boko Haram killed 17 people in the nearby village of Ndongo, which they looted and set ablaze, Maina said.
"Many people have fled
with their families to Maiduguri for fear of being killed or losing
their children to the insurgents," Mustapha said.
Maina lamented that the military had done nothing to stop the raids despite repeated complaints by local leaders.
Last week Boko Haram
militia kidnapped 60 women and girls in two Christian villages in
neighboring Adamawa state, according to residents and community leaders.
It's so clear that the battle of kidnapping is still not over.. we all pray for peace.
source:CNN