Over 10,000 Nigerian Boys And Girls Are Still Held By Boko Haram – Governor Samuel Ortom

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has alleged that over 10,000 Nigerian boys and girls are still being held in captivity by Boko Haram terrorist group.

The governor who disposed this on Thursday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondence Chapel in Abuja, said that the captives are being indoctrinated with militant fundamentalism by the terrorist group.

Ortom stated that the terrorist group had also killed over 30,000 Nigerians and displaced more than three million others in the North East geo-political zone.

“The terror franchise is responsible for killings, rape, public executions, bombings of public and private property, and places of worship, robbery and mass abductions. These include the abductions of the Chibok girls (2012); Damasak schoolchildren (2015) and the Dapchi girls (2018) including Leah Sharibu who is still in custody.

“Reports indicate that Boko Haram is holding more than 10,000 boys and girls and continues to indoctrinate them into militant fundamentalism.

“The group was responsible for the bombing of the UN building in Abuja and has killed more than 30,000 people and displaced more than three million people. The North-East is still unstable and there does not seem to be any prospects of defeating Boko Haram soon.

“States that have been worst hit are Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna. Boko Haram seems to be gradually coalescing with these militants in this axis for a final showdown with the Nigerian State.

“Before the advent of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and other violent crimes were being perpetrated in almost all parts of the country. But the influx of foreign armed herdsmen into the country has led to the escalation of these criminal activities.

“The proliferation of arms has further compounded the situation in the country. In Benue State, we have enacted laws to prohibit kidnapping, cultism, terrorism and other violent crimes with very stiff penalties to serve as deterrent,” he said.

KanyiDaily recalls that the Minister of Com­munications, Isa Ali Pantami, has been placed on the US-watch list over his alleged ties with the late Mohammed Yusuf, the killed leader of Boko Haram.