CHIBOK, Nigeria — A girl abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram seven years ago was recently reunited with her parents, raising hope that other captives will be found and returned.
A Barnabas Fund report said Ruth Ngladar Pogu surrendered to the military in late July, accompanied by someone she allegedly married while in captivity.
On April 14, 2014, Barnabas Fund reported, Islamic extremists kidnapped 276 girls, mostly Christians, from a Chibok area school. Some were whipped into forced marriage, and Christian girls experienced a mock execution for refusing to convert to Islam. Some 160 were rescued or released.
Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province and criminal gangs carried out the mass kidnappings, the report stated.
This year on July 5, gunmen abducted 120 students from Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State. Although some escaped or were released, 83 still are captive, the report said. Since December an estimated 1,000 pupils have been kidnapped from schools.
Nigeria is No. 9 on Open Doors’ 2021 World Watch List of places most difficult to be a Christian.
