Boko Haram plotting abduction of foreigners, others – FG

The Federal Government, Friday, raised the alarm over plans by Boko Haram insurgents to carry out abduction similar to the kidnapping of Chibok school girls.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi, adding that the insurgents plan to abduct students or foreigners in their latest fight for survival.

The statement, quoting the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the sect is cash trapped, hence its desire to raise fund through ransom.

Read also: Xmas: Boko Haram plans to attack Abuja, DSS says

The statement reads: “The Federal Government warned on Friday that Boko Haram terrorists, who have been beaten and put on the run by the military, are planning another sensational abduction of pupils/students or foreigners in a desperate effort to raise funds, through ransom, for food, medical and arms supply.

“Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the planned abduction is in line with the terrorists’ new modus operandi of focusing on soft targets, having being routed from their stronghold and their capacity to stage spectacular attacks substantially degraded.”

The statement further added that while the largely defeated terrorists have now concentrated their attacks on soft targets, like motor parks, schools and entertainment centres, they have been decimated to a level that they are now incapable of staging spectacular attacks like they used to do.

”The kidnap of the Chibok girls in 2014, which attracted global attention to the terrorist group, is what the sect is now trying to repeat, hoping it can find vulnerable targets, especially schools, or a group of foreigners outside the frontline states.

”The plan by Boko Haram is also part of an overall strategy by the terrorists to seek to negatively impact on the psyche of the gallant troops who have routed them (terrorists) from their stronghold and also give the impression that they have not been largely defeated by the December 2015 deadline given by this administration to effectively degrade the insurgency in the Northeast.”

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