(Reuters) - Boko Haram militants have kidnapped more than 400 women and children from the northern Nigerian town of Damasak that was freed this month by troops from Niger and Chad, residents said on Tuesday.

There was no immediate official confirmation of the figure, but the Islamist group has previously carried out mass kidnappings. Boko Haram's abduction last April of nearly 300 schoolgirls in the region stirred international outrage and drew global attention to the group's six-year insurgency.

"They took 506 young women and children (in Damasak). They killed about 50 of them before leaving," a trader called Souleymane Ali told Reuters in the town. "We don’t know if they killed others after leaving, but they took the rest with them."

Troops from Niger and Chad last week found the bodies of at least 70 people in an apparent execution site under a bridge leading out of Damasak, where the streets remain strewn with debris and burnt-out cars after the fighting.

Ali said his wife and three of his daughters were among those seized.

"Two of them were supposed to get married this year. (Boko Haram) said 'They are slaves so we’re taking them because they belong to us'," he said.

Mohamed Ousmane, another trader, said the militants took his two wives and three of their children.

A 40-year-old resident who gave her name as Fana said fighters had rounded up captives in the main mosque before taking them out of town. She said she saved her two children by hiding them in her house.

Boko Haram wants to carve out a caliphate in northern Nigeria. A sharp increase in violence forced a delay in planned elections last month in Africa's most populous country.



Nearly a year after Boko Haram shocked the world by kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls at Chibok, the radical Islamist militia appears to have struck again with another mass kidnapping in northern Nigeria.

Boko Haram has abducted between 400 and 500 women and children in the northeastern Nigerian town of Damasak, according to residents and a military commander quoted by international news media on Tuesday.

Source:http:http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/24/us-violence-nigeria-kidnapping-idUSKBN0MK22Y20150324

Disturbing news

We will not allow Boko Haram to set this country on Fire!

Boko Haram is operating successfully because of the inability of this government to deal with them decisively! So much corruption in the government and they do not care about the ordinary Nigerian. Jonathan will go to bed tonight in peace while some Nigerians will be weeping and mourning.

Over 300 girls missing and yet another 400+ abducted??

We need change in this country.

This is no more sentimental politics but a realistic assessment of our situation.

#BringBackOurSecurity!
#BringBackOurPeace!

We need a true leader in this country. Not a kindergarten president who only eats, drink and snore in Aso Rock while terrosists hold sway.
A true leader who is passionate to serve his people would not politicise everything for electoral purposes.

Fill the leadership vacuum.
Change from PDP incompetence & misrule.
Vote APC to install credible and purposeful leadership.

Nigeria must be great again.

Have we ever asked ourselves why Boko Haram is focused on abducting mostly women?

They might have an agenda to attack and women are the more vulnerable group to convince into using them to perpetrate their dastardly act.

We have to beware of all of their devices...
God Help Us

We will not cower. We will defeat terrorism in Nigeria

Nigeria will be great again

Change must happen in this country.

#wehavedecided

Enough is enough

They should cease the whole north. ...Me am tired

And gej said he'll get rid of them
Mr gej - atuoke straight
If he definitely can't get rid of this terror, how can ge stabilize and satisfy our nation/people
Am sure if he wins, we'll definitely exchange dollar at the rate of #1,500, and he will increase the price of petrol for #160 per litre
And gej change naija #5,000KW when he reached there, and he changed it to #3,000KW
Is that transformations
But during buhari regime, petrol price did not increase a KOBO, and we've got stable electricity
Sai baba
Sai buhari
Vot for change my people, vot for buhari

The timing of this operation is suspect. A ploy by the western media to dampen the current momentum of GEJ.
I will also not rule out a high wire politics by those working for the oppsition APC in Damasak, giving intelligence to Boko Haram to change GEJ's positive outlook 5 days to the election.

Very bad if Buhari should be using his boys to play this last minute game.

I tot they said jona is working

How about N2 billion he released to fight BH

Our money is just going down d drain anyhow in the last 6weeks

There's God ooo gej

Less than 4 days to Change by His grace

It no longer a news now....

This is clearly targeted towards tarnishing the PDP by reopening old wounds so it'll be fresh on the mind of the electorates.

Nice try; epic fail!

hmmm...
nice movement Boys, ur end time is sooo near

And some bastard are still clamouring for this drunk to rule for 4 more years ?
maybe boko haram will ve made Lagos their head quarter then.

NotAgainwillivoteforfailure

#Change

While jonaTAN is campaigning all over Nigeria for an unwarranted 2nd term, BH is getting stronger, God won't come down to save us from this clueless leadership, we have to save our selves by voting for Buhari. It is time to vote for CHANGE, lets get it right this time.
Wednesday, 25th of March 2015 is green day for change, Please wear a touch of green on Wednesday to show support of the APC Presidential Campaign.

#Call10bring5
#Sai Buhari
#Sai GMB/PYO
Vote APC

GEJ.....shame on you! This election date will not be moved!

Anyway how is this possible with soldiers in Borno?

Reuters again

GEJ is not man enough..we need change.

If GMB wins the polls..trust me...even Shekau will go on exile.

I

Apc at work, but you will never win!

GEJ still on point

GEJ's Northern Terror Group Trying hard to reduce the Population of Buhari's Vote in North. March 28 marks the end of all Ur GEJ's Associated Terror Groups (bokoharam, Mend, Massob, Militant, Opc, Fulani herdsmen)

Do they have governor in that state?

[size=16pt]SWEAT TOO MUCH
visit us now[/size]

They title should be "buhari abducts 400.+ women for Election sacrifices

Considering the 'victory' recorded and declared, this news does not corellate. Hmmm, e get as e be for dis Naija o.

Jst a distract news....i ve decide.....gej carry on

The question is where does boko haram get their manpower from..i thought they were taking a beatdown these 6 weeks or were the pictures of recaptured villages being recycled over and over again by the defence HQ...Why is it that external reporters are never at these places to give us the real story and why is it that its only the defence HQ that's feeding us with pictures and videos...the more you look,the less you see..Anyways BH your end is near InShaAllah

And you will rot in hell