Bad news from Nigeria
Thinking about next year's elections in Nigeria might be wishful. If the capacity of the government to maintain law and order continues to diminish, someone(s) offering powerful remedies might win enough crucial support (i.e. military leaders) to replace the regime. (But if that happens before May 16, it won't be on the exam.)129 Girls Abducted By Boko Haram As Abuja Death Toll Rises to 76
Barely 16 hours after a bomb explosion at a bus park in Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), killed scores of people and injured so many others, 129 female students were abducted on Monday night by members of the terrorist group Boko Haram from Government Girls' Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State…
The secondary school girls, who were abducted by members of Boko Haram, were among the 250 boarders at the government secondary school and were sitting for the ongoing WAEC/SSCE (their final year secondary school exams) when they were forcibly taken away from the school on Monday night…
The defence spokesman also stated that the military was still on a search-and-rescue mission trailing the terrorists. He assured Nigerians that the abductors were being tracked and cornered within the environment with the help of the locals…
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Labels: capacity, Nigeria, politics
posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:46 AM
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Teenagers Are Freed, but Militants Continue Attacks
"Military forces on Wednesday freed most of the teenage girls who had been abducted the previous day by Islamist militants, a spokesman for the armed forces said in a statement. Soldiers were continuing to search for eight students who remained missing… authorities had estimated that about 100 teenage girls were kidnapped on Tuesday by militants. Meanwhile, other people suspected of being Islamic militants on Wednesday killed 20 people, including a traditional ruler, in attacks in the northeast…"
Abducted Nigerian girls aren’t free yet, principal says, disputing military
"The fate of more than 100 girls and young women abducted by Islamic extremists was thrown into uncertainty Thursday when their school principal denied a report from Nigeria’s military that almost all the students were free.
"'Up till now we are still waiting and praying for the safe return of the students … the security people, especially the vigilantes and the well-meaning volunteers of Gwoza are still out searching for them. The military people too are in the bush searching,' the principal, Asabe Kwambura, told The Associated Press by telephone."
Chibok abductions in Nigeria: 'More than 230 seized'
"Asabe Kwambura [the school's head teacher] said the parents of 230 girls had reported them missing but 40 had managed to escape.
"Earlier, a local state governor said that about 77 of the teenagers had not been accounted for…
"According to the AP news agency, parents from the school in the town of Chibok told Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima when he visited on Monday that 234 girls had been abducted.
"When news first emerged of the kidnap last Tuesday, initial reports said more than 200 students had been seized but state officials soon downgraded the numbers, saying the correct figure was about 130…
"Ms Kwambura told the BBC Hausa service that about 43 had fled their captors.
"'None of these girls were rescued by the military, they managed to escape on their own from their abductors,' she said…
"The confusion over the numbers comes after the military last week said that all but eight of the students had been rescued before withdrawing its claim a day later… "
Nigeria girls' taken abroad'
"Some of the schoolgirls abducted by suspected militant Islamists in northern Nigeria are believed to have been taken to neighbouring states, a local leader has told the BBC.
"Pogo Bitrus said there had been "sightings" of gunmen crossing with the girls into Cameroon and Chad.
"Some of the girls had been forced to marry the militants, he added… "
Nigeria girls' abduction: Protest march in Abuja
"Demonstrators are to march through the Nigerian capital Abuja to press for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by militants two weeks ago.
"They say they will march to the National Assembly and demand more action from the government, which has been criticised for not doing enough…
"Anger has mounted in recent days. Parents have criticised the government's search and rescue efforts and the number of missing girls has been disputed.
"March organiser Hadiza Bala Usman told the BBC that the women wanted to know why soldiers seemed so ill-equipped to find the girls.
"She warned that the abductions would discourage parents from sending their daughters to school in an area where few girls are given an education… "
Rule of Law?
Nigeria schoolgirl abductions: Protest leader detained
"A woman leading protests over the abduction of more than 200 girls in Nigeria has been detained on the orders of the president's wife, activists say.
"Naomi Mutah took part in a meeting called by First Lady Patience Jonathan and was then taken to a police station, they say.
"Mrs Jonathan reportedly felt slighted that the mothers of the abducted girls had sent Ms Mutah to the meeting.
"Analysts say Mrs Jonathan is a politically powerful figure.
"Ms Mutah, a representative of the Chibok community where the girls were seized from their school more than two weeks ago, last week organised a protest outside parliament in the capital, Abuja.
"The protesters, and many Nigerians, feel the government has not done enough to find the missing girls, who are thought to have been kidnapped by militant Islamist group Boko Haram…
"The AP news agency quotes another community leader, Saratu Angus Ndirpaya, as saying that Mrs Jonathan accused the activists of fabricating the abductions to give the government a bad name.
"She also said the First Lady accused them of supporting Boko Haram."
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