Borno Panel Confirms Missing Family Of Six After Boko Haram Attack

The panel set up by Governor Kashim Shettima to probe claims of fresh mass abductions of women and girls in Bam-Buratai, Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, has confirmed that a family of six was missing.

The media was awash with news that Boko Haram insurgents abducted several girls almost two weeks ago, after killing many in the village during the attack and setting their homes ablaze.

The report brought to mind the abduction of over 400 schoolgirls from their hostel in by Boko Haram, over a year ago. While some of the girls were able to escape, it is believed that over 200 are still in captivity, with their whereabouts unknown.

The committee, in its report submitted to Mr. Shettima on Wednesday in Maiduguri, said it was not sure whether the missing family members were abducted or not, given the fact that there were infants amongst them and insurgents have been known to leave behind infants and their mothers whenever they attack any place.

The committee, however, established that the insurgents indeed invaded the community at about 10 p.m. of November 28, shooting sporadically following which they killed some residents and set the village on fire.

The committee, led by the member representing Biu State Constituency in Borno State House of Assembly, Aliyu Kachalla, said it also as­certained that family members of one of the villagers, named Pidigum Pin­dar, had been missing.

“They include Mrs. Gambo Pidigum and Mrs. Hamsatu Pidigum, the first and sec­ond wives respectively”, the committee said in the report.

Those discovered to have been abducted, according to the committee, were chil­dren of the Pidigum fam­ily.

They are: Hauwa’u Pi­digum, “an 8 years old Pri­mary 3 schoolgirl, Abdul­lahi Pidigum, 2 years 6 months old boy, Ummi Pidigum, a year and 6-month-old girl and Rabi Pidigum, a 6-month-old girl.

“There is no informa­tion about the whereabouts of the abducted members as at the time of compiling the report”, the committee said.

The governor’s spokesperson, Isa Gusau, confirmed that the committee had submitted it findings to Mr. Shettima.