Boko Haram terrorists are accused of having kidnapped eight additional Nigerian girls between the ages of 12 and 15. According to Vanguard News, the abductions took place in the Warabe village of Gwoza, local government area of Borno state in Nigeria.
In addition to the young girls, Boko Haram members also are said to have taken food and livestock from the local villagers. In a phone interview with Vanguard, eyewitness Mallam Bello Umar recounted the events.
“A group of terrorists invaded Warabe village on Sunday night, abducted eight of our teenage girls before carting away with our foodstuffs and livestock. As I am talking to you now, I have run to Gwoza council headquarters, and even in Gwoza, we are restricted around the council secretariat due to the fear of the terrorists,” Bellow Umar said. “The situation is so pathetic as almost all Gwoza people, including villagers who came for safety, are only restricted in a safer zone close to the council secretariat where there is enough presence of security personnel.”
Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for kidnapping more than 200 girls over three weeks ago from their school in neighboring Chibok, Nigeria. In a recent video released by Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, he said the girls should not have been in school in the first place but should be married.
“God instructed me to sell them. They are his properties and I will carry out his instructions,” he said.
A few girls were able to escape their captors, but so far none of the girls still missing have been accounted for.
Yesha Callahan is editor of The Grapevine and a staff writer at The Root. Follow her on Twitter.
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