March 06, (THEWILL)- At least 113 female internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ngala, the headquarters of Gambarou Ngala in Borno State, have reportedly been abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.
Sources at the Babban Sansani IDPs camp said the incident happened last Sunday, when the women went to fetch firewood in the bush for domestic and commercial purposes.
“They were surrounded by the insurgents in Bula kunte bush in the Western part of Ngala town. They freed the old-aged and entered the bush with 319 abled young girls and some young boys. But, three of the girls who escaped and returned to Ngala said the boys (insurgents) took them to a bush close to Bukar-mairam village in Chad Republic. They escaped in the dead of night after the insurgents fell asleep, trekking for two days before they arrived in Ngala.
“They went to the bush to fetch firewood for sale in dozens because the food we are getting from the camp is not enough to feed us. Life is so difficult here,” the source said, adding that most of the abducted girls were from Babban Sansani camp, and the rest from Zulum and Arabic camps.
A security source in Borno, who confirmed the incident, however, denied that 319 IDPs were abducted.
“What we heard is around 113. We always warn them to stay within safe areas but it’s the economic pressure that forced most of them to go. They have no means of livelihood other than cutting off the tree for sale.
“A small measure of corn flour is sold at N2, 200. Where can they get the money to buy? We can’t stop them if we can’t feed them,” the source told newsmen on Wednesday.
