Nigeria school abductions: mystery over fate of missing girls
Confusion surrounds what has happened to the 129 girls who were kidnapped from their school in Nigeria by gunmen.
The Nigerian army claimed to have freed most of the teenagers and said only eight were still missing.
But reports today said most of the girls, aged 15 to 18, had not returned after the mass abduction.
A military statement said 129 students were taken during the attack on the Government Girls' Secondary School at Chibok in Borno state, believed to have been carried out by the separatist group Boko Haram 国产视频 whose name means 国产视频淲estern education is forbidden国产视频.
Major General Chris Olukolade said yesterday one of the gunmen had been captured and added: 国产视频淲ith this development, the principal of the school has confirmed that only eight of the students are still missing.国产视频
But today the BBC's correspondent in Lagos said the claim that most of the girls had escaped or been freed contradicted reports given to them, including from parents.
And the school's principal Asabe Kwambura told the Associated Press that only 14 of the 129 abducted girls had returned.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement on the mass kidnapping. He said: 国产视频淭he targeting of schools and schoolchildren is a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
国产视频淪choosl are, and must remain, safe places where children can learn and grow in peace.国产视频
Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, said: 国产视频淚t is time for the world to wake up to the dangers being faced by girls and boys who simply want to go to school in Nigeria.
国产视频淭he threat to children who simply want an education has led to hundreds of deaths in the last three years.
国产视频淢assacres of innocent boys and girls are not uncommon.国产视频
He said Boko Haram had killed more than 1500 people 国产视频 hundreds of them children 国产视频 this year alone.
Mr Brown added: 国产视频淲e will support the Nigerian government to ensure that violence against children is stopped and all Nigerian boys and girls have the right to go to school safely.国产视频
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