13th February, 2014
Gunmen from Islamist sect Boko Haram are certainly not waiting for the reward of martyrdom in heaven: the reward of 72 virgins by their creator.
They are claiming the reward right here in Nigeria.
In their latest deadly assault against Konduga, Borno state, the menacing armed men did not just kill between 43 and 51 people, they also abducted 20 young girls from a local school. Another account said the number of the girls taken was 25.
They were said to be keeping the girls as hostages.
Dozens of Boko Haram fighters speeding along in trucks painted in military colors and armed with automatic weapons and explosives had stormed Konduga around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, burning houses and shooting fleeing villagers, two witnesses said.
“It is barbaric and unfortunate,” Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said when he visited the town on Wednesday.
“About 60 to 70 percent of the town has been burnt down but we are willing to rebuild it,” he added, pledging to spend 100 million naira ($609,000) on emergency materials.