Boko Haram terrorists have reportedly abducted a large number of female internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ngala, the headquaters of Gambarou Ngala in Borno State.
A security source, who confided in our correspondent, also confirmed the abduction but denied that 319 IDPs were abducted. “What we hard is around 113.”
However, a source from the Babban Sansani IDPs camp, told LEADERSHIP correspondent that the incident happened last Sunday, when the women went to fetch firewood in the bush for domestic and commercial purposes.
“They were surrounded by the insurgents in Bula kunte bush in the Western part of Ngala town. They freed the old-aged and entered the bush with 319 abled young girls and some young boys.
“But, three of the girls who escaped and returned to Ngala said the boys (insurgents) took them to a bush close to Bukar-mairam village in Chad republic.
“They escaped in the dead of night after the insurgents fell asleep, trekking for two days before they arrived in Ngala.”
The source added that most of the abducted IDPs girls were from Babban Sansani camp, and the rest from Zulum and Arabic camps.
“They went to the bush to fetch firewood for sale in dozens because the food we are getting from the camp is not enough to feed us. Life is so difficult here,” the source said.
Another source from the security circle said they had always warned the IDPs against going to some areas in the bush for fear of attack.
“We always warn them to stay within safe areas, but it’s the economic pressure that forced most of them to go. They have no means of livelihood other than cutting off the tree for sale.
“A small measure of corn flour is sold at N2,200 where can they get the money to buy? We can’t stop them if we can’t feed them,” he said.
This is one of the major abductions that took place in Borno State since the kidnapping of 276 girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, on the night of April 14, 2014.
