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| New Kidnapping Reported in Nigeria as U.S. Offers Help | New Kidnapping Reported in Nigeria as U.S. Offers Help |
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| ABUJA, Nigeria — Armed extremists in northern Nigeria have carried out another brazen kidnapping of young girls, the United Nations Children’s Fund and a local official said on Tuesday, adding to the international uproar over the abduction of more than 200 girls seized from a school in the same part of the country last month. | ABUJA, Nigeria — Armed extremists in northern Nigeria have carried out another brazen kidnapping of young girls, the United Nations Children’s Fund and a local official said on Tuesday, adding to the international uproar over the abduction of more than 200 girls seized from a school in the same part of the country last month. |
| Details of the additional kidnapping came as the Obama administration announced that it had offered to help Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, find and prosecute those responsible for the April mass abduction, which has traumatized Nigeria and garnered attention worldwide. | Details of the additional kidnapping came as the Obama administration announced that it had offered to help Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, find and prosecute those responsible for the April mass abduction, which has traumatized Nigeria and garnered attention worldwide. |
| Jay Carney, a White House spokesman, told reporters in Washington that military personnel and experts in hostage negotiations were included as part of an assessment team that was offered to Mr. Jonathan in a telephone call with Secretary of State John Kerry. | Jay Carney, a White House spokesman, told reporters in Washington that military personnel and experts in hostage negotiations were included as part of an assessment team that was offered to Mr. Jonathan in a telephone call with Secretary of State John Kerry. |
| In addition, the State Department issued an updated warning to American citizens, admonishing them to avoid nonessential travel to parts of northern Nigeria “due to the risk of kidnappings, robberies and other armed attacks.” | In addition, the State Department issued an updated warning to American citizens, admonishing them to avoid nonessential travel to parts of northern Nigeria “due to the risk of kidnappings, robberies and other armed attacks.” |
| Unicef said that the second kidnapping involved at least eight girls who were seized in their homes in Borno State to prevent them from attending school. It called the latest abduction “an outrage and a worsening nightmare for the girls themselves, and for the families of the more than 200 girls who have been stolen from their communities in the last several weeks.” | Unicef said that the second kidnapping involved at least eight girls who were seized in their homes in Borno State to prevent them from attending school. It called the latest abduction “an outrage and a worsening nightmare for the girls themselves, and for the families of the more than 200 girls who have been stolen from their communities in the last several weeks.” |
| Manuel Fontaine, Unicef’s regional director for west and central Africa, said in a telephone interview that the information was obtained from the agency’s contacts for the area, which has been riven for years by attacks on villages and schools by the Islamist group Boko Haram. The leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, has claimed responsibility for the mass abduction last month in a newly released video in which he vowed to sell the girls like slaves. | Manuel Fontaine, Unicef’s regional director for west and central Africa, said in a telephone interview that the information was obtained from the agency’s contacts for the area, which has been riven for years by attacks on villages and schools by the Islamist group Boko Haram. The leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, has claimed responsibility for the mass abduction last month in a newly released video in which he vowed to sell the girls like slaves. |
| “The situation in northeast Nigeria has been difficult for a long time,” Mr. Fontaine said. The mass anger and global outcry caused by the abductions is important, he said, because it shows that “at some point people say enough is enough.” | “The situation in northeast Nigeria has been difficult for a long time,” Mr. Fontaine said. The mass anger and global outcry caused by the abductions is important, he said, because it shows that “at some point people say enough is enough.” |
| Hamba Tada, a local official in Gwoza, another town in the area, offered further confirmation and additional details of the latest kidnapping, although his account differed in some respects. | Hamba Tada, a local official in Gwoza, another town in the area, offered further confirmation and additional details of the latest kidnapping, although his account differed in some respects. |
| Mr. Tada said 11 girls, 12 to 15 years old, had been abducted from two villages, Warabe and Wala, on Sunday night by members of Boko Haram. He said the kidnappers, armed with AK-47 rifles, had not shot anyone but seized grain and livestock from the villagers “while the abducted girls were hurled into an 18-seater bus before they fled.” | Mr. Tada said 11 girls, 12 to 15 years old, had been abducted from two villages, Warabe and Wala, on Sunday night by members of Boko Haram. He said the kidnappers, armed with AK-47 rifles, had not shot anyone but seized grain and livestock from the villagers “while the abducted girls were hurled into an 18-seater bus before they fled.” |
| “The gunmen only warned the villagers against alerting any security personnel on the abduction of girls,” Mr. Tada said. “They promised to deal with anyone that violates their order.” | “The gunmen only warned the villagers against alerting any security personnel on the abduction of girls,” Mr. Tada said. “They promised to deal with anyone that violates their order.” |
| The accounts contradicted the police commissioner in Borno State, Lawan Tanko, who denied there had been any new abductions. | The accounts contradicted the police commissioner in Borno State, Lawan Tanko, who denied there had been any new abductions. |
| The news came as top human rights figures added their voices on Tuesday to the anger over the first mass abduction on April 14. | The news came as top human rights figures added their voices on Tuesday to the anger over the first mass abduction on April 14. |
| Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights, said through a spokesman that Boko Haram would be held accountable for the kidnappings. | Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights, said through a spokesman that Boko Haram would be held accountable for the kidnappings. |
| “We warn the perpetrators that there is an absolute prohibition against slavery and sexual slavery in international law,” Ms. Pillay’s spokesman, Rupert Colville, told reporters at a news briefing. “That means anyone responsible can be arrested, charged, prosecuted and jailed at any time in the future. So just because they think they are safe now, they won’t necessarily be in two years, five years or 10 years’ time.” | “We warn the perpetrators that there is an absolute prohibition against slavery and sexual slavery in international law,” Ms. Pillay’s spokesman, Rupert Colville, told reporters at a news briefing. “That means anyone responsible can be arrested, charged, prosecuted and jailed at any time in the future. So just because they think they are safe now, they won’t necessarily be in two years, five years or 10 years’ time.” |
| Cristina Finch, managing director of Amnesty International USA’s identity and discrimination unit, which focuses on women’s human rights, said the abductions reflected what she called “yet another example of the ways in which violence against girls and women affects every aspect of their lives.” | |
| The mass kidnappings ignited a rare antigovernment protest movement and embarrassed the government of President Jonathan, which has so far been unable to rescue the teenage girls. They were abducted from their school in a remote corner of northeastern Nigeria by armed and uniformed men, loaded into trucks and driven into a dense forest at night. By some counts, 276 remain missing. | The mass kidnappings ignited a rare antigovernment protest movement and embarrassed the government of President Jonathan, which has so far been unable to rescue the teenage girls. They were abducted from their school in a remote corner of northeastern Nigeria by armed and uniformed men, loaded into trucks and driven into a dense forest at night. By some counts, 276 remain missing. |
| By late Tuesday, following Mr. Kerry’s call to Mr. Jonathan, planners at the Pentagon and at the military’s Africa Command in Germany were hastily beginning to prepare contingencies in case the administration decides to send military aid to help Nigeria rescue the kidnapped girls. | By late Tuesday, following Mr. Kerry’s call to Mr. Jonathan, planners at the Pentagon and at the military’s Africa Command in Germany were hastily beginning to prepare contingencies in case the administration decides to send military aid to help Nigeria rescue the kidnapped girls. |
| Reconnaissance planes and other sensors, transport aircraft, and military personnel specializing in hostage-negotiation tactics, are among the types of assistance that the Pentagon could offer, a Defense Department official said. | Reconnaissance planes and other sensors, transport aircraft, and military personnel specializing in hostage-negotiation tactics, are among the types of assistance that the Pentagon could offer, a Defense Department official said. |
| A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Myles B. Caggins III, said there had been no formal requests for such assistance yet from the Nigerian government, and that the immediate focus was assembling the American assessment team to meet with Nigerian officials to determine how the United States could best help. | A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Myles B. Caggins III, said there had been no formal requests for such assistance yet from the Nigerian government, and that the immediate focus was assembling the American assessment team to meet with Nigerian officials to determine how the United States could best help. |
| In the video message claiming responsibility for the first abductions, the Boko Haram leader threatened to “sell them in the market,” adding that he would “give their hands in marriage because they are our slaves.” | In the video message claiming responsibility for the first abductions, the Boko Haram leader threatened to “sell them in the market,” adding that he would “give their hands in marriage because they are our slaves.” |
| “We would marry them out at the age of 9,” he said. “We would marry them out at the age of 12.” | “We would marry them out at the age of 9,” he said. “We would marry them out at the age of 12.” |
| President Obama and other world leaders have condemned the mass abductions in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria’s president, Mr. Jonathan, has struggled over how to battle Boko Haram, which has terrorized parts of Nigeria for years. | President Obama and other world leaders have condemned the mass abductions in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria’s president, Mr. Jonathan, has struggled over how to battle Boko Haram, which has terrorized parts of Nigeria for years. |
| Denunciations of the Boko Haram abductions also came from a pre-eminent Islamic theological institute in Egypt, Al-Azhar, which said on Tuesday that the abduction “completely contradicts the teaching of Islam and its tolerant principles.” | Denunciations of the Boko Haram abductions also came from a pre-eminent Islamic theological institute in Egypt, Al-Azhar, which said on Tuesday that the abduction “completely contradicts the teaching of Islam and its tolerant principles.” |
| The actress Angelina Jolie, who is the special envoy for the United Nations refugee agency, said at an appearance in Paris that Boko Haram’s actions were “unthinkable cruelty and evil.” | The actress Angelina Jolie, who is the special envoy for the United Nations refugee agency, said at an appearance in Paris that Boko Haram’s actions were “unthinkable cruelty and evil.” |