Abducted Nigerian girls could be auctioned off as sex slaves if rescue fails

The girls abducted by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram could reportedly be auctioned off as slaves or child brides in the human trafficking market across the globe, if they are not rescued soon.

Humanitarian experts say that the kidnapped girls like the nearly 300 mainly Christian teens abducted by the Boko Haram last month are more likely to be dispersed throughout the continent, Russia, the Middle East and even Europe, sold for a few dollars and forced to become prostitutes, FOX News reports.

Rona Peligal, deputy director for the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch says that it can be safely assumed that the abducted girls have been raped by their captors, if not worse.

Peligal adds that if they return home, they could be traumatized and stigmatized if they are known to be raped, pregnant or with child from their abductors and what happens if they're trafficked would likely pale by comparison.

She says that it is difficult to understand why Boko Haram would target this particular school, adding that it could be that the insurgents considered the reopening of the school so close to a Boko Haram camp an affront, or may be, because of their constant movement, the insurgents needed a new supply of women and girls to take care of their domestic and sexual needs.

The mass abduction is one of the most extreme examples of students and schools being attacked by extremist groups according to Peligal, who says that in the last five years, a total of 30 countries have seen attacks on educational facilities, the report adds.