The fate of 200 Nigerian women grew dim today due to a Boko Haram leader releasing a video about the recently abducted girls. In this video, militant leader Abubakar Shekau is shown boasting, even laughing, about his most recent claims of “selling women”.
[CNN Excerpt]
— Boko Haram is a terrorist group receiving training from al Qaeda affiliates, according to U.S. officials. Its name means “Western education is sin.” In his nearly hourlong, rambling video, Shekau repeatedly called for Western education to end.
“Girls, you should go and get married,” he said.
The outrageous threat means the girls’ parents’ worst fears could be realized. Parents have avoided speaking to the media for fear their daughters may be singled out for reprisals.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the video “does appear legitimate.”
The tape won’t intimidate or deter Nigeria from efforts to save the kidnapped girls, the Nigerian government said.
“It is disheartening that someone would make such a terrible boast,” Doyin Okupe, spokesman for President Goodluck Jonathan, said in an interview with CNN.
“It is to be expected of terrorists,” he added. “No group can affect our resolve. We will see this through to the end. We have the commitment and capacity to get this done. No matter what this takes, we will get these girls.”
On Sunday,Jonathan vowed, “Wherever these girls are, we’ll get them out.”–
We hope these girls are found soon; it’s unfortunate we live in a world where savagery and hatred promote violence. Probably one of the saddest parts of this story is that these Nigerian girls were abducted while in a classroom! Keep them and their families in your prayers.
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