Dozens of women have been kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in a recent attack in Nigeria’s volatile northeastern Borno state, according to security sources.
The abduction occurred on Wednesday when over 30 women, who were taking refuge at a camp for victims of terror attacks in Gamboru-Ngala, a town bordering Cameroon, were seized by the militants.
Mustapha Goni, a security volunteer, confirmed the incident to Anadolu Agency, stating that the women were abducted while collecting firewood in the surrounding bush.
Responding to the abduction, the Nigerian military along with other security agencies have launched a search and rescue operation to locate and secure the release of the kidnapped women.
However, the military has yet to provide a public statement regarding the details of the abduction.
Boko Haram, a notorious terror group with a long history of violence in the region, is suspected to be behind the attack. The group has been active since 2009.
Boko Haram has gained international infamy for its brutal tactics, including its mass abductions of women and schoolgirls. Most notably, the group’s kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State in 2014 sparked global outrage.
Four years later, the group carried out another abduction of 110 students from Dapchi, located roughly 314 kilometers from Chibok.
