The South China Morning Post is reporting that two attacks by Boko Haram gunmen killed 30 people near Chibok, the northeast Nigerian town where the Islamists kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls last month. The author writes:
“The first attack on Monday afternoon killed 10 in the village of Shawa, some seven kilometres from Chibok, a number of residents told AFP on condition of anonymity. Gunmen then stormed the nearby village of Alagarno late Tuesday and stole food, razed homes and fired on fleeing civilians. ‘It was a sudden attack,’ said resident Haruna Bitrus, in an account supported by other locals. ‘They began shooting and set fire to our homes. We had to flee to the bush. They killed 20 of our people,’ he added. Many of those who fled the Alagarno attack ran to Chibok, where Boko Haram seized 276 schoolgirls on April 14. The military said it had deployed heavily to the area to find the 223 girls who remain in captivity. Major world powers including the United States are offering varying levels of assistance with the rescue mission.”
Reportedly, the Nigerian military has failed to respond with three trucks breaking down on the way to the village.
BBC Africa is reporting that there was also a bombing in Jos that killed 118 people yesterday. The author writes:
“In the latest attack, Boko Haram fighters reportedly spent hours killing and looting in the village of Alagarno. Alagarno is near Chibok, from where the schoolgirls were abducted last month…People in north-east Nigeria are extremely vulnerable to attacks because many areas are no-go zones for the military and the insurgents operate freely, correspondents say.”
Boko Haram appears to be growing in strength and presence, while the Nigerian government appears to be incompetent in bringing them to justice. Will the missing schoolgirls ever come home?
Read more at BBC Africa.
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