An estimated 172 women and children were reportedly kidnapped and 35 people killed when suspected Boko Haram extremists attacked a village in north-east Nigeria. Survivors said heavily armed militants drove into the village of Gumsuri at dawn, rounded up men and shot them at point-blank range, then forced women and children on to a truck.

Boko Haram’s gained increased global notoriety after it adducted 276 girls from a Chibok school in April. Despite worldwide exposure on the issue the girls remain in captivity.

The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, centre, in a video released in October. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Bring Back Our Girls

Many criticise the failure of the Nigerian government for working alongside the British and American governments who are accessed of withholding access to military technology that could have secured their safe return months ago.

Bukola Shonibare of the Bring Back our Girls Campaign appealed to UNICEF and alongside a group lobbying governmanet on behalf of the parents met with officials of the U.N. Office for West Africa.

The Nigerian government now faces international condemnation after the publication of reports on its sentencing of 54 soldiers to death. The court-martial charges are for mutiny, assault, cowardice and refusing to fight Islamic extremists.

Toyin Agbetu from Ligali said "If these reports are true then this sentence is a disgrace, it is not right for Nigeria to blame and kill individual soldiers for its own human rights failings. The protection of Africans in Nigeria is the responsibility of its government. Low paid and undisciplined soldiers should not lose their life for failing to do what most high paid and profligate politicians would not. Our collective focus should be on rescuing those abducted by Boko Haram, supporting the families of the victims and bringing the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes to justice - not looking for easy scapegoats".