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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Nigeria: 100-Plus Kidnapped Students Free |
| 2014-04-17 |
| [ABCNEWS.GO] Scores of female students kidnapped by Islamic Death Eaters from a northeastern Nigerian school are free, Nigeria's military reported Wednesday. Only eight of more than 100 students are unaccounted for, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said in a statement that gave no details. "The others have been freed this evening," he said. The government had reported that security forces were in hot pursuit of Death Eaters who kidnapped more than 100 females from a high school early Tuesday. Borno state Gov. Kashim Shettima told news hounds that 129 students were kidnapped and at least 14 freed themselves: four of the students -- aged between 16 and 18 -- jumped off the back of a truck and 10 escaped into the bush when the gunnies asked them to cook and were not paying attention. The abductions came hours after an kaboom blamed on gunnies killed 75 people in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, angering citizens who are questioning government and military claims that they are containing a 5-year-old Islamic uprising. Two more attacks killed 20 people Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in northeastern Nigerian villages. While the military claims that they have cornered turbans in a remote northeast corner of the West African nation, attacks have increased in frequency and becoming more deadly. More than 1,500 people have been killed this year, compared to an estimated 3,600 between 2010 and 2013. Shettima told news hounds Wednesday that the turbans arrived at Chibok government Secondary School for Girls wearing military fatigues and posing as soldiers -- a common tactic used by the krazed killers. His information came from the school principal, who believed the men were soldiers removing the young women -- aged between 16 and 18 -- for their own safety. So the principal made no fuss as the students were loaded onto the back of a truck. It was only as the gunnies were leaving, and started shooting, that he realized his mistake, Shettima said. The Death Eaters killed a soldier and a police officer guarding the school, officials said. |
| Posted by:Fred |