Armed men suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents invaded Kurebe community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Thursday and abducted 22 girls.

Sunday Tribune learnt that the abducted girls were between the ages 15 and 17 and that the gunmen were said to have informed the villagers that they were going to marry the girls.

A community leader, who craved for anonymity, said the terrorists had earlier informed them that the girls should be withdrawn from the school because they would come to marry them, adding they were surprised that the gunmen came on Thursday to pick the girls without any security hindrance.

He said that the group leader, identified as Malam Sadiku led several operations in the area, preaching weird Islamic ideology unhindered for several months.

“They operate freely, but when they identified a stranger in the community, they usually feel threatened; they either plan for the abduction of the stranger or chase the person away. We reported several times to the authorities,” he said.

It is recalled that the Niger State governor, AlhajiAbubakar Sani Bello, had raised the alarm several times in the course of the year that an Islamic group akin to Boko Haram had hoisted their flag in Kaure, a village close to Kurebe.

Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman, Shiroro local government council, Comrade Suleiman Dauda Chukuba, had also raised the alarm over the activities of the group, calling for urgent action. (Sunday Tribune)

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