Crime barricade tape. | Courtesy.

Akobo County Commissioner in Jonglei State has condemned the abduction of three girls from a remote village on Saturday by armed men, while appealing for the return of hostages and arrest of the abductors.

Puok Nyang said the three girls identified as Nyaduoth Piny Rom, Nyaluak Tongker Koda, and Nyapan Reath Duoth, were taken captive between Walgak and Lankien.

He said the teenage girls were traveling through a forest between the two areas when they were captured and taken away by armed men.

“When they reached an area called Tut, which is a forest area with a lot of trees, they were attacked. The men managed to run and they successfully took the three girls,” he said in an interview with Eye Radio.

“These girls were abducted by suspected Murle criminals. Because it is very far place, the youth from Akobo west, they followed the criminals up to now, they have not returned back.”

The latest incident, according to Commissioner Puok Nyang, has brought the total number of Akobo children abducted by suspected armed abductors from Greater Pibor to nine since the beginning of 2024.

Nyang said the rampant abductions are a violation of the pre-inter-communal governmental structure meeting held in Juba, as well as the Pieri agreement, which directed all parties to refrain from violence and abductions.

As part of implementing the resolutions, Commissioner Nyang said Akobo has successful managed to stop its youth from carrying attacks on Pibor.

He appeals to authorities in the Greater Pibor area to replicate the same gesture and ensure peace prevails among the two sisterly regions.

“From our side, we stopped mass mobilization. There is no attack being carried out to the Greater Pibor Administrative area and this is what we are supposed to do as the government, as community.”

“I call on Greater Pibor Administrative area authority to do something now to make sure that these children are identified, they are collected, they are brought back to Akobo County.”

Eye Radio repeatedly contacted Uliu Akwer, the Greater Pibor Minister of Information for a comment but his phone went unanswered.