STUDENTS MISSING IN BORNU STATE
Maiduguri — Twenty-four more schoolgirls abducted by
extremists have escaped and 85 still are missing, an education official said
Friday.
Some of the women jumped off the back of a truck when they
were kidnapped before dawn Tuesday from a high school in Borno State. Others
have escaped into the Sambisa Forest, which borders their school in Chibok town
and is a known hideout of militants of the Boko Haram terrorist network.
"So far, we give thanks to God, for what we now have is
44 girls" who have escaped, the Borno state education commissioner, Musa
Inuwo Kubo told The Associated Press by telephone Friday night.
He said some of the latest escapees were found Wednesday
nearly 50 kilometers (30 miles) away from their school.
ARE THE MILITARY IN
ACTION?
Extremists have been attacking schools and slaughtering
hundreds of students in the past year. In recent months they have begun
kidnapping students, who they use as cooks, sex slaves and porters.
But this week's mass abduction is unprecedented. The
attackers also burned down many houses in the town.
The extremists have been on a rampage this week that started
with a massive bombing attack on a busy bus station at rush hour on Monday in
Abuja, the capital in the center of the country, that killed at least 75
people. Twenty others were killed in attacks on two villages. And a soldier and
police officer guarding the school in Chibok also were killed.
More than 1 500 people have been killed in the uprising this
year, compared to an estimated 3 600 between 2010 and 2013. The attacks have
undermined the government and military claims that they are containing the
insurgency.
The military has remained inexplicably absent from Chibok,
Kubo said, describing residents' "displeasure" that no security
forces have come to secure the area since the attack.
Angry parents and all able-bodied men from the town have
taken to the Sambisa Forest to try to find the students despite the dangers of
confronting extremists.
The Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade,
claimed in a statement Wednesday that all but eight of the 129 abducted
students had been freed by security forces. But he retracted that statement on
Thursday.
The Borno State Government has announced that fourteen more
students of the state-owned Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, are
presently are out harm’s way following their escape from Boko Haram’s camp.
The girls had been held captive since Monday along with
about 86 others with fears over their safety.
The state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Musa Inuwa Kubo,
who gave an update on the abduction, said 11 of the girls escaped to a town on
the Damboa/Biu Road, while the remaining three found their way to the school.
The commissioner, who has temporarily relocated his office
to the school to take charge of the situation, said: “I am glad to say that
fourteen (14) more students have escaped from their abductors.
“Out of this number, three are currently with me at
Government Girls’ Secondary School,Chibok, the scene of the unfortunate
abduction, while my Governor, Kashim Shettima, has confirmed to me today that
11 girls have escaped to a town along Damboa/Biu Road in Borno State after they
escaped from captivity.
“The 11 ladies were immediately moved from the location to
other parts of the state to reconnect with their families.
“The remaining 33 students in Chibok have also been moved
out of the school to different parts of the state to join their families. The
steps were taken to safeguard them.
“Meanwhile, with this development, we have 44 out of our 129
students at the hostel on the day of attack on the school. This means that we
have 85 students yet to join us”.
Thirty students had returned from the custody of the
terrorists by Thursday.
Of that number, 14 escaped from their abductors, while 16
were returned by their parents and guardians after they ran home on the day of
the attack. The 16 were not abducted, he said.
The commissioner pleaded with parents/guardians whose
children and wards ran home to return them to the school so “we could take
proper account of our 129 students to know the number of those missing”.
85 of the abducted students are believed to still be in
captivity.
Mr. Kubo said that the combined efforts of the security
agencies and youth volunteers also known as civilian JTF for the intensive
search “may have piled up pressure on abductors and possibly contributing to
the escape of 28 students from captivity”.
He added: “We continuously pray that all our students return
in good health as well as all the security agents and volunteers safely return.
“We are indeed grateful for the patriotic efforts being
displayed by all those involved in the search and rescue operations. We are
also very grateful to all Nigerians, institutions and governments within and
outside our country for their unflinching support that has remained indelible
to us in the education sector of Borno State.
“We once again call on parents and all sympathises to remain
prayerful and hopeful that by the grace of God all the students will safely
return to school.
“Once again, on behalf of the Borno State Government, my
ministry, staff and students of the affected school, parents and relations of
affected students, I very well appreciate the Nigerian and international media
organisations for their most helpful support.
“I will keep updating any time there is something new which
I hope will be positive”.
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Most of the citizens are angry about the uncertain words of
the Nigerian military saying that some number of the students are been found
which was found out to be false two days ago. Most of the students are missing
and are not yet to be found.
