FCT: 10,000 Nigerian boys, girls still in Boko Haram captivity – Ortom

GOVERNOR Samuel Ortom has lamented the wilful abduction of children in their impressionable ages by Boko Haram insurgents.

Ortom said about 10,000 Nigerians, including boys and girls are still in Boko Haram’s captivity.

Ortom disclosed that the captives are being indoctrinated with militant fundamentalism by the terrorist group.

The governor also pointed out that over 30, 000 Nigerians have been killed and 3 million displaced by the terror group.

Ortom made the claim yesterday in Makurdi during a virtual presentation as guest lecturer at the 2021 Press Week/Lecture organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Correspondents’ Chapel, FCT Council.

He spoke on the topic, “Insecurity in Nigeria: Restoring peace, unity and progress.”

Ortom said: “The terror franchise is responsible for killings, rape, public executions, bombings of public and private property, and places of worship, robbery and mass abductions.

“These include the abductions of the Chibok girls (2012); Damasak school children (2015) and the Dapchi girls (2018) including Leah Sharibu who is still in custody.

“Reports indicate that Boko Haram is holding more than 10,000 boys and girls and continues to indoctrinate them into militant fundamentalism.

“The group was responsible for the bombing of the UN building in Abuja and has killed more than 30,000 people and displaced more than three million people.

” The North East is still unstable and there does not seem to be any prospects of defeating Boko Haram soon.”

The governor said that the major cause of banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality in Nigeria was because the Federal Government took no step to end open grazing.

He also accused the Buhari administration of encouraging the herdsmen menace by canvassing the Ruga system instead of advocating the modern system of livestock management.

Ortom said, “The Federal Government should immediately implement the National Livestock Transformation Plan, in line with the recommendation of the National Economic Council.

“Consequently, all funds released for the implementation of the RUGA policy should be recovered and rechanneled towards NLTP implementation.

“The Federal Government should direct the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to enforce prohibition of open grazing laws passed by various states of the federation”