Nigeria: Another abduction by Boko Haram militants

According to Reuters reporting on 5 September 2018, suspected Boko Haram militants have abducted over ten people travelling in the town of Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria. A military source said that the militants stopped a bus, fired shots and killed one soldier. Yonas Dembele, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "Nigeria is in its ninth year of war with Boko Haram, a group that has killed and kidnapped thousands of civilians across northern Nigeria. It was only in February this year that Boko Haram stormed a secondary school in the village of Dapchi and kidnapped more than 100 teenage girls, releasing them one month later after negotiations with the government (The Guardian, 24 March 2018). ‚ Although the Nigerian army continues its offensive against Boko Haram and claims the group is "˜significantly weakened", such incidents clearly prove otherwise." Yonas Dembele continues: "The fact that the militants have survived coalition force campaigns involving troops from Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria indicates that Boko Haram can adapt and remain a potent force in the region. Most Boko Haram attacks take place in remote areas and there have been many Christians among the victims. These are often held captive for ransom, with women facing rape and forced conversion to Islam."