WASHINGTON, DC—Representative Eliot L. Engel, the leading Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today made the following statement regarding the abduction of hundreds of Nigerian girls by Boko Haram, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization:

“The recent abduction of more than 200 Nigerian girls by Boko Haram is a cowardly and despicable act and a horrific abuse of basic human dignity and human rights. Nearly three weeks after their kidnapping, the fate of these girls remains uncertain. What we do know is that Boko Haram is a terrorist organization doing serious harm to the citizens of northern Nigeria and threatening the stability and security of the entire region. They need to be stopped. The government of Nigeria must do whatever it takes to bring the perpetrators to justice, and I urge the State Department to keep working with our African allies to help find these girls and reunite them with their families as soon as possible.”

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