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| Boko Haram Group |
About 16 women including two girls have been abducted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Sabongari village of North East Adamawa state.
Local sources said the women were abducted on Wednesday when they went to fetch firewood in a nearby forest in company of some vigilante members who escaped and abandoned the women on sighting the group of armed insurgents.
A source in the area who does not want his name in the print said two of the women managed to escape.
Confirming the incident, the member representing Michika/ Madagali Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Adamu Kamale said that he heard the shocking news to the effect that about 16 women have been abducted by Boko Haram.
"We have been witnessing pockets of attacks contrary to the belief that security has been fully restored in the area. As a member of NASS I have been calling for the deployment of security personnel but to no avail as the government seems to have relegated our concerns to the background," he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of Adamawa State Command, DSP Othman Abubakar confirmed the incident disclosing that on learning about the development, the command sent a detachment of police officers to the affected area and are currently working round the clock to track down the abducted women even as he said normalcy has returned to the area.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria military is subjecting a purported new video from leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau to forensic examinations in order to ascertain its authenticity.
The development is sequel to claims of calls allegedly being made by Abubakar Shekau in the said video on his followers to embrace peace and stop the fighting by sheath their swords and surrender.
Peoples Daily correspondents, however listened to and watched the video without locating anywhere Shekau called on his men to surrender.
This is even as the Defense Headquarters has awrned that the said video clips should be discountenanced as it could be another ploy or antics of the terrorists to keep our innocent citizens off their current security alertness to maximize casualties if attacked.
A top military officer however told PRNigeria that: "the ongoing campaign against insurgency and indeed Boko Haram is being intensified most especially in the Sambisa forest, and its environs in order to further degrade and demystify the sect and bring them to their knees.
"We are aware of the video but we are subjecting it to thorough forensic investigation. We won’t take any action that can stop the ongoing offensives against the terrorists in all fronts. Every terrorist is free to surrender.
"While the military is conscious of sustaining the tempo on its war against terrorism, the military intelligence will subject the undated and unverified video to forensic analyses." The officer concluded.
Shekau was last heard from in March 2015, when an audio message attributed to him was released pledging Boko Haram’s allegiance to the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), after which it rebranded itself as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The Boko Haram leader also issued a threat to disrupt 2015’s general elections in Nigeria.
A statement by Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, Acting Director Defence Information yesterday, said that, "I t has come to the notice of the Defence Headquarters about the online video clips purportedly released by the Boko Haram Terrorists Leader, Abubakar Shekau or his replica in Arabic and Hausa Languages showing remorse and asking for forgiveness.
"The DHQ wishes to state emphatically that not minding the contents of the video clips, the Armed Forces of Nigeria would continue to fight in order to consolidate the successes recorded so far and assuring Nigerians that no inch of the Nigerian territory would be allowed to be bastardized by any force of darkness again.
"The DHQ is also reassuring the good citizens of our great country that all captives under the coffer of the Boko Haram Terrorists, would regain their freedom with the ongoing military’s final offensive against the terrorists.
"While the Nigerian Military would not rest until all the remnants of the terrorist group are completely wiped out of our blessed land, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, wishes to commend all officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces for their sacrifices, determination and courage to degrade the terrorists and task them to complete the good job they have started soonest in line with our rules of engagement."
According to the statement, the Nigerian Armed Forces are now determined more than ever before to end this ugly trend.
"Members of the public are also advised not to be carried away by the video clips, but to be extra vigilant and be security conscious at all times during Easter celebration and beyond. Public is also reminded to report any suspicious strange faces, movement and object to the nearest security agency so as to counter any unholy plans of the Godless terrorist group," the statement said.
Local sources said the women were abducted on Wednesday when they went to fetch firewood in a nearby forest in company of some vigilante members who escaped and abandoned the women on sighting the group of armed insurgents.
A source in the area who does not want his name in the print said two of the women managed to escape.
Confirming the incident, the member representing Michika/ Madagali Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Adamu Kamale said that he heard the shocking news to the effect that about 16 women have been abducted by Boko Haram.
"We have been witnessing pockets of attacks contrary to the belief that security has been fully restored in the area. As a member of NASS I have been calling for the deployment of security personnel but to no avail as the government seems to have relegated our concerns to the background," he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of Adamawa State Command, DSP Othman Abubakar confirmed the incident disclosing that on learning about the development, the command sent a detachment of police officers to the affected area and are currently working round the clock to track down the abducted women even as he said normalcy has returned to the area.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria military is subjecting a purported new video from leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau to forensic examinations in order to ascertain its authenticity.
The development is sequel to claims of calls allegedly being made by Abubakar Shekau in the said video on his followers to embrace peace and stop the fighting by sheath their swords and surrender.
Peoples Daily correspondents, however listened to and watched the video without locating anywhere Shekau called on his men to surrender.
This is even as the Defense Headquarters has awrned that the said video clips should be discountenanced as it could be another ploy or antics of the terrorists to keep our innocent citizens off their current security alertness to maximize casualties if attacked.
A top military officer however told PRNigeria that: "the ongoing campaign against insurgency and indeed Boko Haram is being intensified most especially in the Sambisa forest, and its environs in order to further degrade and demystify the sect and bring them to their knees.
"We are aware of the video but we are subjecting it to thorough forensic investigation. We won’t take any action that can stop the ongoing offensives against the terrorists in all fronts. Every terrorist is free to surrender.
"While the military is conscious of sustaining the tempo on its war against terrorism, the military intelligence will subject the undated and unverified video to forensic analyses." The officer concluded.
Shekau was last heard from in March 2015, when an audio message attributed to him was released pledging Boko Haram’s allegiance to the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), after which it rebranded itself as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The Boko Haram leader also issued a threat to disrupt 2015’s general elections in Nigeria.
A statement by Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, Acting Director Defence Information yesterday, said that, "I t has come to the notice of the Defence Headquarters about the online video clips purportedly released by the Boko Haram Terrorists Leader, Abubakar Shekau or his replica in Arabic and Hausa Languages showing remorse and asking for forgiveness.
"The DHQ wishes to state emphatically that not minding the contents of the video clips, the Armed Forces of Nigeria would continue to fight in order to consolidate the successes recorded so far and assuring Nigerians that no inch of the Nigerian territory would be allowed to be bastardized by any force of darkness again.
"The DHQ is also reassuring the good citizens of our great country that all captives under the coffer of the Boko Haram Terrorists, would regain their freedom with the ongoing military’s final offensive against the terrorists.
"While the Nigerian Military would not rest until all the remnants of the terrorist group are completely wiped out of our blessed land, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, wishes to commend all officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces for their sacrifices, determination and courage to degrade the terrorists and task them to complete the good job they have started soonest in line with our rules of engagement."
According to the statement, the Nigerian Armed Forces are now determined more than ever before to end this ugly trend.
"Members of the public are also advised not to be carried away by the video clips, but to be extra vigilant and be security conscious at all times during Easter celebration and beyond. Public is also reminded to report any suspicious strange faces, movement and object to the nearest security agency so as to counter any unholy plans of the Godless terrorist group," the statement said.
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