Boko Haram claims responsibility for kidnapping hundreds of boys in Katsina

Leader of Boko Haram, the Islamist extremist group that abducted hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria six years ago, has claimed responsibility for the mass abduction of male pupils in Katsina State last week.

In an audio tape released on Tuesday, Abubakar Shekau said: “Our brothers were behind the abduction in Katsina.”

A large group of men armed with AK47s overran the all-boys Government Science Secondary School, Kankara on Friday night, marching more than 300 pupils into surrounding forests.

Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from their school dormitory in Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014 and about 100 are still missing.

Also, the group has taken other school children as well as thousands of people across the north-east and has recently expanded into the northwest.

There is doubt over the direct involvement of Boko Haram in the latest mass abduction, however.

Shekau’s statement lacked detail and officials in Katsina State have already received ransom demands from a group of bandits that witnesses said were responsible.

One western official working in counter-terrorism in the region said it was possible bandits may have transferred some or all of the kidnapped school boys to the extremists in return for money, weapons or other resources.

Across the entire Sahel region, there are close relations between armed criminals, traffickers and Islamist extremists.

More details have emerged of Friday’s attack. Musa Adamu, 18, was sleeping in the school’s dormitory when he heard gunshots.

“The sound got louder, then I ran and jumped out of the window and over the fence of the school and ran along with many others into the forest.

We spent the night there, because we were afraid to come back to the school,” he said. Another student was unable to flee the initial attack and was robbed.

“Two of the gunmen broke into our hostel and asked us to give them our phones. I told them I had no phone, then they collected our money, then broke open our lockers and took our soaps, skin creams, milk and biscuits,” said Hassan Al Bashir.

“The gunmen then started shouting that we should all go outside, but as we were going I sneaked and hid and that was how I escaped them.’’

Samatu Aliyu was forced to march into the forest by the attackers with hundreds of others, but managed to escape and found his way back to Kankara after 36 hours.

“We walked from that night to the morning in the forest without shoes. Most of us had feet that were bleeding and there was nothing to eat.

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We only drank muddy water, and at some point, they left me behind and turned away, and so I ran and walked back alone,” Aliyu said.

Jamilu Isah, a resident of Kankara, said the town was “in mourning. Our mothers are still crying everywhere you go in the town.

People are not happy. We feel the government has abandoned us we just want them to bring our boys back,” he said.