Many girls, women kidnapped in Nigeria

Abuja, June 24 (IANS) Rampaging Boko Haram fighters killed at least 30 people and kidnapped scores of women and girls in separate attacks last weekend in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, sources said Tuesday.

The sources said at least 30 people were killed in separate attacks in four villages of Damboa in the restive state. At least 60 girls and women have been missing following the four-day attack, Xinhua reported.

"Between Thursday and Saturday, life was hellish for residents of Gurdlagwal, Yafa, Kummabza and Yaza villages as the gunmen's attacks left sorrow, tears and blood. They shot sporadically, took away our wives and children (girls)," said Aminu Mustapha, a local Islamic teacher who fled to the neighbouring Lassa Town for refuge.

Mustapha said he was yet to see his wives, children or any relatives.

He described the attack, which snowballed Saturday afternoon, as "very bloody", and there was no rescue mission by security agencies in sight as the gunmen wreaked havoc on the residents.

Moses Mbaya, a survivor of the attack, said early last week that suspicion arose about an impending attack when some unidentified men stormed a local market to buy food items in bulk.

"They were suspected to be Boko Haram members," Mbaya said.

When contacted, state and security officials declined to comment on the incident.

Modu Mustapha, a top official of Damboa local government area, told Xinhua that he was not authorized to speak on the attacks.

Boko Haram, an outlawed group blamed for thousands of killings and kidnappings in Nigeria since 2009, seeks to enshrine the Islamic Sharia law in the constitution of the West African country.

Last month, the group claimed responsibility for the April abduction of 200 school girls in Chibok Town, a remote area in Borno State.