2014 Sees Dramatic Uptick in Boko Haram Abductions
FILE - Villagers who fled the village of Gwoza, after an attack by Boko Haram in November, arrive at a camp for internally displaced people in Yola, Nigeria. Suspected Boko Haram militants kidnapped more than 100 people Sunday from the village of Gumsuri, Nigeria, after raiding the town and killing 35 other residents, according to survivors of the attack. They said those taken are primarily women and children. Kidnappings would not be a new strategy for Boko Haram, although no one has claimed responsibility. 2014 saw a dramatic uptick in Boko Haram kidnappings as the sect seized territory in the northeast. The sect also grabbed women and girls, forcing them into marriage or labor in its camps, and conscripted men into its ranks. Reports of how many people were taken from the Borno state village of Gumsuri range from "more than a 100" to as many as 185. If confirmed, it could be one of Boko Haram's largest kidnappings to date. Security issues Yola-based Nigerian professor