By Sadiq Abubakar
No fewer than 10 women from Chibok local government area of Borno state stormed a Maiduguri hospital yesterday over a report that their daughters, abducted by Boko Haram since April 14, had been admitted for complications relating to pregnancy.
The fate of the over 200 schoolgirls has remained uncertain since the kidnap and the anguished parents are eager to grasp at any piece of information about their safety.
A rumour had gone round that the Borno state government had ordered for over 200 mattresses ahead of a plan to bring the schoolgirls back home because they were in serious need of medical treatment.
The story had it that many of the girls were pregnant and were battling with health problems.
It was said that over 200 mattresses were brought into the hospital since last month by the government.
The mothers yesterday rushed to the famous Maiduguri Nursing Home, now General Muhammadu Shuwa Specialist Hospital, hoping to meet with the girls.
But they were disappointed.
Our correspondent gathered that the women told some nurses at the hospital that they had been told that the government was bringing in the girls for medical checkup.
A nurse at the hospital told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that the mothers were told by hospital staff that it was a mere rumour.
She said: “When the women came, we told them that no girl was brought to the hospital for any medical checkup, and they all burst into tears.”
She said the women, who were at the hospital since around 9 a.m., left shortly after 3 p.m.
She said: “You can check around tomorrow, maybe they will still come back because they were not convinced by what we told them.
“They seemed to be very eager to meet or see their daughters from the way they behaved.”
In a related development, about 15 people were on Sunday killed by gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram at a market in Daku village of Askira Uba local government area of Borno state.
Blueprint gathered from reliable sources that the gunmen, numbering over 20, were armed with AK47 rifles, improvised explosive devices and petrol bombs.
They invaded the market at about 11 a.m. on motorcycles and a Toyota Hilux van and opened fire on traders before carting away food items and an unspecified amount of money.
The insurgents set ablaze several shops, houses, vehicles and motorcycles.
After the operation, they fled towards the Sambisa forest, widely believed to be the operational base of Boko Haram.
There was no report of the military or the Civilian JTF confronting them in the area.
Askira Uba shares boundaries with Biu, Chibok, Gwoza and Hawul local government areas.
It is located in the southern part of the state and is about 190 kilometres from the state capital.
