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Thursday, March 26, 2015
It does not matter what day it is in northern Nigeria, some new awful happening seems to have been reported, the latest being Boko Haram militants kidnapping more than 400 women and children from the town of Damasak.
“They took 506 young women and children (in Damasak). They killed about 50 of them before leaving,”Souleymane Ali, a trader from Damasak told Reuters. “We don’t know if they killed others after leaving, but they took the rest with them.”
Damasak was one of the towns that were freed from the Boko Haram last month by troops from Niger and Chad. These troops reported the finding of at least 70 bodies last week under a bridge leading out of the town.
While the government has not confirmed the number 400, this would not have been the first time the group has abducted a massive amount of women in the north; last year almost 300 school girls were abducted
Adding more tension to the region is the upcoming election, scheduled for March 28. Residents in both the north and south, but especially the north are concerned about post-election violence. Residents in the area are stockpiling food and water in case violence breaks out.
Nigeria’s elections were originally expected to be held on February 14 but were pushed back until March 28 by the government, due to ongoing security issues. At the time the government said that Nigerian security forces were busy fighting the Boko Haram in the north and could not ensure the safety of voters around the country; it seems unlikely that if pre- or post-election violence breaks out with the new schedule that security forces will be of much assistance.
Elections are pitting incumbent Goodluck Jonathan against MuhammaduBuhari. The electoral commission was trying to avoid any further violence by the postponement as several people died in protests earlier this year and campaigning last weekend ended in a short eruption of violence.
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