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.
In an open letter, Nobel Peace Prize
winner Malala Yousafzai called on
Nigeria's authorities and the
international community to do more to
secure the release of the girls.
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'
Three other women also told the BBC
they had seen the girls in Gwoza.
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 doing 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
Turning the tide against Boko Haram?
Who are the militants?
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-
africa-32292854
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