60 women abducted by Boko Haram in Adamawa

Despite the ceasefire declaration and efforts by the federal government to negotiate the release of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram in April, about 60 women were reportedly kidnapped by the terror sect from Waga Mangoro and Garta villages in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State following renewed attacks unleashed by the insurgents.

Whilst 40 women were said to have been abducted from Waga Mangoro, 20 were forcibly uprooted from their homes in Garta.

Locals in the affected areas, who escaped during the attacks, confirmed the kidnapping to THISDAY on the phone, saying hundreds of insurgents overran the area on motorcycles and in vans during a rampage on Saturday.

They said in the course of the attacks, the insurgents burnt houses and abducted young women.

One of the locals in Garta, Tizhe Kwada, who escaped by a whisker, said the onslaught on his community was still ongoing yesterday, forcing many residents to flee the area which has been under Boko Haram siege for almost two months.

Kwada said the insurgents cordoned off houses in Garta in search of young women and took them in their vans to an unknown destination.

“The insurgents are still in the area. They slit the throats of three men in Garta and abducted many young women. We also heard from residents of Waga that they killed two men and took 40 women away,” he stated.

Similarly, a community leader from Michika, Emmanuel Kwache, confirmed the incident to journalists in Yola, saying he got the information from villagers in the area that the attack on Garta was still in progress.

However, other sources revealed that the insurgents invaded the villages last Saturday and that several of the residents had fled to other communities including Yola, the state capital, which is about 88 kilometres from Madagali.

Ahmadu, a resident in Waga Mangoro, also confirmed that the insurgents invaded his community, which borders Gwoza in Borno State. He said the insurgents used the abducted ladies as human shields during reprisals by Nigerian troops.

Ahmadu added that the attackers carted away food items, animals and household belongings of residents.

Two other residents, Titus and Ayuba, who managed to escape to Yola, said they travelled through bush paths to avoid the rampaging terrorists.

According to them, the insurgents stormed the town at the weekend through the road leading to Sambisa forest.

In another incident, suspected members of Boko Haram attacked another Borno town where they killed three persons and set ablaze houses including churches.

Sources revealed that scores of insurgents attacked Pelachiroma village in Hawul Local Government Area of Borno State on Monday.

“Three people have been killed by members of the Boko Haram sect who attacked Pelachiroma village of Hawul Local Government Area in Borno State on Monday,” the source revealed.

A resident of the area, Ignatius Musa, said the insurgents stormed the village around noon.
He disclosed that the insurgents went berserk and “churches were not spared”.
Pelachiroma is a few kilometres from Azur forest where eight people were killed on Friday by the insurgents.

The caretaker chairman of Hawul, Dr. Andrew Malgwi, who confirmed the attack yesterday, said the insurgents also destroyed many houses during the siege.


Credit: Tobi Soniyi/Muhammad Bello/Michael Olugbode/Daji Sani/ThisaDay