Although an unspecified number of older women and children under the age of 10 have been released, scores of displaced people remain unaccounted for
The United Nations has strongly condemned the abduction of displaced persons – most of them believed to be women, boys and girls – in the Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State in Nigeria’s northeast.
The exact number of people abducted remains unknown, but it is estimated to be more than 200.
Details of the abduction are still sketchy, but suspected members of a non-state armed group – thought to be the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), better known as Boko Haram – are alleged to have abducted the displaced persons who had ventured beyond the safety of the trenches surrounding Ngala in search of firewood on Thursday, February 29.
The abductees come from the ISS, Zulum, Kaigama and Arabic internally displaced persons’ camps in Ngala.
The UN said although an unspecified number of older women and children under the age of 10 had been released, scores of displaced people remained unaccounted for.
In a statement released on Wednesday, March 6, the UN’s resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, said: “I stand in solidarity with the families of all those abducted, especially children, and their communities and urge those who have abducted them to release them without harm.
“On behalf of the United Nations, I remind all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians from harm.”
The UN said more than two million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states had fled to garrison town where they had few, if any, livelihood options.
“Those who venture beyond the protective trenches surrounding these towns to forage or farm do so at great peril, with killings, abductions, forced recruitment and sexual and gender-based violence [GBV] rampant.
“Two days to the commemoration of International Women’s Day, this incident is a stark reminder that women and girls are among those most affected by conflict.
“The crisis in the BAY states is disproportionately affecting women, boys and girls. There is a high prevalence of GBV against women and adolescent girls, while boys are targeted for recruitment by non-state armed groups.”
Rawa Bukar Tela, RNI’s correspondent in Dikwa, said a source, who asked to remain anonymous, told him the women were collecting wood for cooking and selling when they were allegedly abducted by JAS insurgents.
The exact number of women, girls and boys is not known but reports vary between 150 and 180; one report put the figure at 300.
Most reports claimed JAS insurgents carried out the abduction; others said insurgents belonging to the Islamic State West Africa Province [ISWAP] were responsible.
Authorities in Ngala have called on the Borno State government and security agencies to take all necessary steps to rescue the women, girls and boys.
A police officer, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed the abduction. He was unable to give a precise figure of the number abducted or of those released.
RUKAIYA AHMED ALIBE
