Boko Haram seizes Chibok, hometown of kidnapped schoolgirls

Boko Haram has seized the northeastern Nigerian town of Chibok, from where 276 girls were kidnapped more than six months ago and which the government vowed to secure after the mass abduction.

But the violence in the northeast has intensified since, with Boko Haram reportedly seizing more than two dozens towns and Nigeria’s security forces reportedly absent in many areas.

The military was not immediately available to comment on the developments in Chibok.

But given the town’s symbolic significance, its fall will likely raise fresh doubt about Nigeria’s ability to handle the Boko Haram threat.