Rights group urges UN to help free abducted girls
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — A Nigerian rights group is urging the United Nations to help secure the release of some 230 schoolgirls abducted by extremists 10 days ago.
More than 40 of the girls and young women kidnapped from a remote northeastern school escaped by themselves but school officials say 230 still are missing.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project called Thursday for several U.N. agencies to "urgently intervene" and provide "international assistance and support to the Nigerian authorities to secure the release of the children and to ensure that they get back to school."
Nigeria's military said it mounted a "hot pursuit" operation.
The mass kidnapping and a massive explosion that killed 75 hours earlier in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, strengthened fears the Islamic uprising is spreading and the military unable to stop it.
