Boko Haram captures about 500 Nigerian Children

Reports came in that up to 500 Nigerian children have been kidnapped from Damasak in Borno state Nigeria by terrorist sect Boko Haram. The  reports has it that the children are all aged 11 and under and come from the recently recaptured Borno town. One trader in the region revealed that Boko Haram fighter had taken the children along with them as they fled on comming soldiers.

Damasak was freed by Chadian and Niger forces earlier this month after several months of being under the control of the terrorists. A regional force had been created to help fight the insurgents, this force comprises of Chad,Niger, Nigerian and Camerounian soldiers who helped put the terrorists on the defensive. Boko Haram had in April 2014 attracted international scrutiny after they more than 200 girls from a boarding school in Chibok town in north-eastern Nigeria’s Borno state.

Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau has come forward and said that the girls had already been married off. Chadian soldiers had recently retaken the town of Damasak, Nigeria last week. Boko Haram’s philosophy has been always against western education,alleging that it corrupts their religious beliefs Damasak is a popular trading town in Borno state near the Niger Border and is just 200km from Capital, Maiduguri. The town was overrun by militants last year.

One Damasak business man, Malam Ali whose brother is among the missing had earlier told that young boys had been put in a madrassa, or Islamic school, by Boko Haram when they took over the town.

Following the recapture of the town, those boys had not been accounted for, he said.

It was reported that the conflict has torn many families apart. As towns have changed hands it has been impossible to work out how many people have been killed and how many are missing, he adds.

Last week, the decomposing bodies of more than 70 people were discovered under a bridge near Damasak the town. It is widely believed that these were civilians killed by the militants.