More than 50 of the girls abducted by militant Islamists in Nigeria
last year were seen alive three weeks ago, a woman has told the
BBC.
She saw the girls in the north-eastern Gwoza town before the Boko
Haram militants were driven out of there by regional forces.
Boko Haram sparked global outrage when it seized more than 219
girls from Chibok town a year ago.
The US, China and other foreign powers promised to help find the
girls.
However, the girls have never been traced, and little has been heard
of them since they were taken from their boarding school.
The whereabouts of the remaining girls is not clear.
'Big house'
Campaign group Bring Back Our Girls organised a silent march in
Nigeria's capital, Abuja, on Wednesday to raise public awareness
about the abductions. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has said the girls have been
converted to Islam and married off, fuelling concern that the
militants had treated them as war booty and sex-slaves.
Mr Shekau has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), which is
also notorious for carrying out abductions in Iraq and Syria.
The Nigerian woman, who lived under Boko Haram's rule in Gwoza,
told the BBC she saw the girls in Islamic attire, being escorted by
the militants.
"They said they were Chibok girls kept in a big house," said the
woman, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals.
"We just happened to be on the same road with them," she added.
'Treated better'
Boko Haram was believed to have turned Gwoza into its
headquarters after it captured the town in August 2014.
Nigeria's military, backed by troops from neighbouring countries,
recaptured the town last month.
The militants were suspected to have fled to the nearby Mandara
Mountains, near the border with Cameroon.
It is unclear whether the girls are with them there.
Another woman told the BBC she last saw some of the girls in
November at a Boko Haram camp in Bita village, also in the north-
east.
"About a week after they were brought to the camp, one of us
peeked through a window and asked: 'Are you really the Chibok
girls?' and they said: 'Yes'. We believed them and didn't ask them
again," the woman said.
"They took Koranic lessons, cleaned their compound, cooked for
themselves and they braided each others' hair. They were treated
differently - their food [was] better and water clean. "
Nigeria's outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan has been widely
criticised for not enough to end the six-year insurgency in the north-
east, and to secure the freedom of the girls.
Incoming President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to "crush" the
insurgents.
He is due to be inaugurated on 29 May after defeating Mr Jonathan
in last month's presidential elections.
Boko Haram at a glance:
Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style
education
Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa
language
Launched military operations in 2009 to create an Islamic state
Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria
Has also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
Abducted hundreds, including at least 200 schoolgirls
Pledged allegiance to Islamic State
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32292854

Where are the Chibok deniers? Shame on all of them.

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Osanobua eeeeeh!!!