Several newspapers reported on Friday that 22 girls were kidnapped in Kurebe village, Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State, by Boko Haram members.
According to the reports, the girls, ranging between the age of 15 and 17, were abducted to be married by the terrorists.
CLAIM: Boko Haram terrorists kidnapped 22 girls for marriage in Kurebe.
VERIFICATION
To ascertain the news, FIJ spoke with several sources familiar with happenings in the community. One of them, Sani Yusuf Kokki, co-convener, Concerned Shiroro Youths, said there was no mass abduction of young women in Kurebe.
“Immediately I saw the news yesterday, I swung into action. But no genuine information about the incident. From all indications, there was nothing like mass abduction of 22 young girls in Kurebe,” he said.
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Alhaji Seidu, the Dagachin Kurebe (head of Kurebe Village) also said, on Saturday, that he had found it hard to unravel the evil elements that misled the media with the false information. Seidu described the news as false and misleading.
“I am the Dagachin Kurebe and I cannot confirm the information to be true. I don’t know where it emanated from,” Seidu said. “Not even a single person was kidnapped in Kurebe. Any news about the incident is fake.”
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CONCLUSION
Boko Haram members did not abduct 22 girls in Kurebe.
VERDICT
News reports that 22 girls were abducted by the members of Boko Haram in Kurebe for marriage are false.
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