Boko Haram seizes hometown of kidnapped schoolgirls

Islamic extremists in Nigeria have seized Chibok, forcing thousands of people to flee the town where insurgents kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls in April, a local official said Friday. The Boko Haram insurgents entered the town Thursday, shooting from pickup trucks and motorcycles, Bana Lawan, chairman of the Chibok local government, told The Associated Press. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. is closely monitoring the situation in Chibok.

Nobody can tell you what is happening there today because everybody is just trying to escape with their lives.

Bana Lawan, chairman of the Chibok local government

Nigeria’s military chief announced on Oct. 17 that the country’s homegrown Boko Haram extremist group had agreed to an immediate cease-fire. Government officials said the truce would lead to the girls’ speedy release. But Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in a video released last month said the girls were “an old story,” that they all had converted to Islam and been married off to his fighters.

We remain committed to helping the government of Nigeria address the threat posed by extremist organizations.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki

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