- News>
- World
Boko Haram leader threatens `to sell` abducted Nigerian schoolgirls as `slaves`
The US will now assist Nigeria in the search of over 276 schoolgirls from Chibok community was kidnapped by Islamist militant group Boko Haram from their school dormitory.
Zee Media Bureau
Lagos: The US will now assist Nigeria in the search of over 276 schoolgirls from Chibok community was kidnapped by Islamist militant group Boko Haram from their school dormitory.
While US has ruled out deploying troops on ground for now, it has agreed to provide assistance by sharing intelligence information. US Undersecretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, would be travelling to Nigeria soon.
The militant group released a videotaped message on Monday in which the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, said that he plans to “marry” and “sell off” the girls as young as nine years old. Shekau was standing in front of an armoured personnel carrier and two pick-up trucks mounted with sub-machine guns.
He was flanked by fighters bearing rifles on either side whose faces were covered.
According to unconfirmed reports, most of the abducted schoolgirls have already been sent across borders and sold for as little as $12. The Christian girl students have also been converted to Islam.
Boko Haram militants had stormed the school on April 14 as the students were preparing for their final papers. They stormed the dormitories and forced the schoolgirls into trucks.
However, 53 of the abducted girls managed to escape.
The militant group has been blacklisted by the US as a terrorist organisation.
Lagos: The US will now assist Nigeria in the search of over 276 schoolgirls from Chibok community was kidnapped by Islamist militant group Boko Haram from their school dormitory.
While US has ruled out deploying troops on ground for now, it has agreed to provide assistance by sharing intelligence information. US Undersecretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, would be travelling to Nigeria soon.
The militant group released a videotaped message on Monday in which the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, said that he plans to “marry” and “sell off” the girls as young as nine years old. Shekau was standing in front of an armoured personnel carrier and two pick-up trucks mounted with sub-machine guns.
He was flanked by fighters bearing rifles on either side whose faces were covered.
According to unconfirmed reports, most of the abducted schoolgirls have already been sent across borders and sold for as little as $12. The Christian girl students have also been converted to Islam.
Boko Haram militants had stormed the school on April 14 as the students were preparing for their final papers. They stormed the dormitories and forced the schoolgirls into trucks.
However, 53 of the abducted girls managed to escape.
The militant group has been blacklisted by the US as a terrorist organisation.