Boko Haram Kidnaps 30 Children in Nigeria
Boko Haram militants reportedly abducted at least 30 boys and girls from a remote village in northeastern Nigeria over the weekend, throwing into question a government-declared cease-fire with the insurgents. The Islamist extremists on Friday raided Mafa, a town in Borno state, CNN reports, and news of the abductions slowly got out because regional telecom service has taken a severe hit during Boko Haram's five-year campaign of terror. Throughout the weekend, local leaders said the gunmen seized a dozen and a half boys and girls  some as young as age 11  in what was thought to be an attempt at recruiting child soldiers. The mass kidnapping in the restive region diminished hopes that the Nigerian government was close to striking a deal with the militants to secure the release of more than 219 schoolgirls abducted by the group in April. CNN