News Headlines On Boko Haram And Abducted Schoolgirls

By Ambrose Ehirim

President Hollande of France hosts Saturday, May 17, 2014, summit with African leaders and agree to wage war on Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamic militants after the abduction of schoolgirls in north eastern Nigeria. The Paris Summit brought together President Hollande, Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, President Thomas, Yayi Boni of Benin, Paul Biya, President of Cameroon, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, and Idriss Deby Itno president of Chad. Image: John Van Hasselt


On April 14, 2014, members of the Boko Haram nihilist, terrorist group with over a thousand killings on its list this year alone, and exactly five weeks today, marched to the woods of northeast Nigeria in Chibok, Borno State and, abducted nearly three hundred schoolgirls (real figures still unknown), in their continued quest for an Islamic state.

The kidnap of the schoolgirls marks the first time since the Boko Haram operatives began about five years ago, the international community and world leaders including the US, France and Britain stepped up to face the challenges in its move to locate and vanquish the insurgents, in addition to the rescue of the hostages.

With meeting of five Nigeria's neighboring leaders and representatives from the Western hemisphere, and related global leaders, President Francois Hollande of France, headed a meeting in Paris, Saturday, May 17, 2014, with focus on the nature of Boko Haram operatives following abduction of the schoolgirls, declared war against the Islamic insurgents and reached an agreement on how to combat the terrorist organization, Boko Haram.

Overwhelmed by scenes horrific and gruesome by way it's carried out and not much time to check other happenings around the news gathering outlets as Boko Haram took every attention, it must be borne in mind that the entire world has now become fully aware of a country long terrorized by a group of bloodthirsty Islamic nihilists, even though it had been preconceived by the nation's leading rulers and decision makers that the insurgents had potentials to cause havoc and nothing done about it, until it turned out ugly and spooky, we hope the Paris Summit lives to its creed with the help of the volunteered five African nations and the international community to arrest the situation, bringing the insurgents to book, and prosecuting them to the limit of the law---and, we, indeed, hope so.

The following are among thousands of reports and news-related commentaries over the May 16-19, 2014 weekend, logged on Boko Haram regarding abduction of the schoolgirls. Be advised that some of these reportage have been solely based on propaganda, either for, or against, seeking resolve to what had been a nation's nightmare:

Boko Haram Isn't Just About Western Education --- Washington Post

Jihadists face Taunts Nigeria From Showdown --- New York Times

US Officials Question Ability Of Nigeria To Rescue Hostages --- New York Times

Cameroon Military Helps Search For Missing Nigeria School Girls --- NBC News (United States)

Nigeria Needs International Pressure --- Deutsche Welle

African Leaders Declare War On Boko Haram --- BBC News

Motshekga Launches Nigeria Kidnap ---Sowetan

Witness To Terror: Nigeria's Missing School Girls --- CNN

Tales Of Escape In Nigeria Add To Worries About Other Kidnapped...--- New York Times

US Support To Nigeria Beset By Complications --- CNN

Gains, Losses Of WEFF For Africa --- Nigerian Vanguard

Mapping Kidnappings In Nigeria --- Five Thirty Eight

The Odds Are Bad --- The Economist

Nigeria Car Bomb Kills Civilians In Kano --- Nigerian Vanguard

Nigeria Villagers Fight Off Attack By Boko Haram --- CNN

War On Boko Haram: Africa, Western Nations Unify In Hunt... --- CNN

Nigerian Soldier Says Army That Woulld Face Boko Haram Is Ill Equipped --- Fox News

Why Hillary Clinton Was Right About Boko Haram --- Reuters

Growing Presence In Cameroon Raises Fears Boko Haram Cannot Be... --- Fox News

Nigeria Soldiers Sent To Fight Boko Haram Revolt Against Commanders --- Toronto Star

West African Leaders Vow To Wage Total War On Boko Haram --- Reuters

African Countries Declare War On Boko Haram --- Al Jazeera

Summit Aims To Combat Boko Haram, Funds, Arms, Training... --- Associated Press

Boko Haram: Dialogue Or Defeat? Al Jazeera

West Outlines Plan To Crack Down On Boko Haram --- Fox News

Chinese Camp Hit Near Boko Haram Stronghold --- Al Jazeera

Nigeria Leaders Calls Boko Haram al Queda --- Fox News

Nigeria Schoolgirl Kidnapping: Boko Haram Has al Queda Links --- BBC News

France, African States "Declare War" With Schoolgirl Kidnap Group --- Sydney Morning Herald

African Leaders Agree On Plan To Bring Down Boko Haram --- Huffington Post

African Leaders Pledge "Total War" On Boko Haram After Nigeria Kidnap --- London London Guardian

Ten Chinese Missing In Boko Haram Attack --- Voice Of America

Nigeria Schoolgirl Crisis: Boko Haram Faces "Total War." --- London Telegraph

Boko Haram Campaign Of Terror Is About Religion, Ethnicity And Land --- Irish Independent

The British Face Of Boko Haram Man Suspected Of Masterminding Boko Haram Bomb Attacks In Nigeria --- The Independent (London)

Nigeria Has To Do More To Stop Boko Haram --- Gulf News

Boko Haram Has Nothing To Do With Islam - Iran Cleric --- Press Television, Iran

West African Leaders Agree On Plan To Crash Boko Haram --- Time

Kidnapping Of Chines Work Site point To Boko Haram --- Newsweek

Stop Calling Boko Haram Islamic Group, Cleric Tells Media --- Nigerian Premium Times

Nigeria Should Not Expect Insurgency To Disappear Overnight - Laban Maku --- Channel Tv News

US Officials Frustrated By Nigeria's Response To Girls Kidnapping --- Los Angeles Times

Nigeria Boko Haram Crisis: Kano Suicide Attack --- BBC News

RAF Spy Plane Flies To Nigeria To Hunt For Schoolgirls --- London Telegraph

Suicide Car Bomb Kills Five In Bar District Of North Nigeria's Kano --- Chicago Tribune

Missing Nigeria Schoolgirls: British Military Plane Joins search --- Scottish Daily Record

Tracking Nigeria's Worsening Security In Real Time --- The Atlantic

Far From Home, A Nigerian Nanny Prays For Her Kidnapped Cousin --- Haaretz

The Seeds Of Nigeria's Troubles Were Sown At Creation --- Rabble Blog

Nigeria's Giant Military Is No Match For Boko Haram --- Business Insider

Northern Nigeria's Oil Barons tap Luxury As Poverty Spurs Insurgency --- Business Day (Nigeria)

The West To Destroy Nigeria Before 2015 --- Prauda (Russia)

Beyond Boko Haram: Nigeria's Human Trafficking Crisis --- The National Interest Online

Nigeria's Kidnapped Girls Spur Public Anger, Vigils And A Paris Summit --- Public Radio International

After Kidnapping, Nigeria Must Step Up --- Boston Globe

Iran Ready To Help Nigeria Over Abducted Girls - Diplomat --- Press Tv Iran

Boko Haram Insurgency: ECOWAS Parliament Pledges Regional Support --- Channels Tv

And the list goes on and on and on...

The saga continues!

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