CHIBOK GIRLS’ DELAYED RESCUE: Nigerian government prototype of the average Nigerian — Pastor Ruth Essien
*Says next set of Nigerian leaders already messed up
*Corruption, root of nation’s disaster
*How parents have failed
BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA
What do you think of the recent twist to the insurgent in North-East Nigeria; that’s the kidnap of schoolgirls?
I’m going to give answers to that question as a woman, mother and as a pastor. As a woman, first and foremost, we know clearly that these girls are going to be beaten and raped; and most of them are virgins. Definitely, that’s going to affect them because if we want to have better women, we must make sure the girl child is well-trained, emotionally balanced, healthy and educated. So, these people are going to release to us horrible women in future. As a mother, this is not something that any mother should even imagine. My biological daughters are not among them but I must tell you that for weeks, I’ve been very sad. When I close my eyes, it’s like I’m seeing them screaming while being raped. I’m praying to God seriously about it because it is very disturbing.
What if one of those girls is the only child or daughter of the parents? We’re not even sure all of them are alive! As a pastor, I want to tell everyone that this is the opportunity for God to uncover these people because I’m sure even their founding sponsors are no longer in support of their actions. They now have other means of getting money and have become bosses of their own, and not of those who actually introduced them for political purpose. If truly their god says these girls should not go to school, did that god also say they should forcefully marry them?
The Federal Government is presently being castigated for failing to intervene timely though it claims to have been working round the clock. Do you think government has actually intervened in a shrewd and timely manner?
In as much as I do not have any dealings or business directly with government, I’m somebody that calls a spade a spade. We’re all saying government did not do this and that but do we agree that there are many things that happen individually in our different homes that we handle wrongly?
That’s just a small family; not to talk about a whole country. I’m not taking side with government. Yes, we say they could have acted timely but how do they act timely if they do not have adequate information and equipment? These people work with information and that’s why they have been able to successfully carryout series of bombing! Let us just pray for God’s wisdom. Again, talking about government; most of their children are outside this country. It has to affect somebody directly for that person to stand up radically. How many of their daughters are amongst these children?
But they do have an obligation to protect the lives of every citizen of this country…
A typical African man has the obligation to take care of his wife and children but how many of them do so? If the wife just manages to secure a small job, that’s the end of feeding allowance! They’ll say “Are you not working?” It’s this same set of people that are shouting in the press that government is not doing anything. The problem with us as Nigerians is that we fail to see that we are all government and are supposed to work together on this matter. Initially, when Boko Haram came up, people kept quiet because it was political and was meeting their desires and needs. Now, everyone is panicking because it has touched us all. Some are even using it to become very popular, writing petitions here and there and shouting “Release our girls, release our girls” even when they do not mean it. Why is it that it’s the abduction of the girls that we’re crying about? What about the bombings that have killed so many Christians? Did we make any noise? Or didn’t we have innocent girls as well as pregnant women that died in those bomb blasts? I am not seeing this development as a separate entity but as one with the killings of the past. Again, how can government help? We know that the government is corrupt and that there are informants, right inside government, who always work the success of the administration.
Now, what are you saying the solutions are?
We must go back to the subject of corruption- corruption of the mind, emotions, spirit and whatever you can think of. I can bet you that if a party takes over from this party, they’re not going to do any better because it is still going to be run by human beings from this same country. I do not know which party will tell me they’re coming as a party that isn’t corrupt. The fact is that corruption is the root of Nigerian government’s inability to rescue those abducted girls till date. I say this because there are many who have information about where these girls are but are willing to keep quiet for one reason or the other. One step however will be to carryout investigations on companies selling those sophisticated ammunitions and armored cars, and trace the buyers and shipments. That way, a lot of culprits will be revealed.
But are you excusing the Federal Government?
If anyone wants to condemn government, let him first go on the internet and read on terrorism. It’s a terrible thing because you don’t know who is financing them and they themselves might not even know their real sponsors.
Besides, can you honestly tell me how the average Nigerian on the street behaves? As we’re condemning government, do you know how many Nigerian women are being violated domestically? How many girls are being sexually abused by their fathers everyday? It is not just to make noise about government. We’re all Nigerians and are not going to buy leaders from Cotonou or Ghana. Our leaders come right from this same society and the society has always been corrupt. The market woman takes advantage of increase in food prices and adds money to goods she bought ever before the increase. She will tell you “they’ve added money”. We didn’t buy leaders from anywhere; these were leaders produced from our individual homes and who sucked the breasts of Nigerian mothers who watched their children misbehaved until they grew up and became leaders? Who are Boko Harams? Are they not children born by women from this same society? We say they’re from Chad but we’re just deceiving ourselves. This country needs help and as a women advocate, I urge every woman to go back home and begin to train the next set of leaders; these ones have disappointed us and we have agreed, but who are we going to replace them with? Meanwhile, our next sets of leaders are already in our houses, messed up. Nigeria was celebrating its centenary and alcohol companies were telling us how they make billions in Nigeria. Every nook and cranny of our country has beer parlours with long cars parked by young men on a regular basis. These are the people that will rule us tomorrow. So, let all those men and women complaining about government go back home and do their work because we’re already grooming our next set of leaders and already, they’re drunkards, drug addicts, gays, wife beaters, criminals and many more. The church is also guilty because it has complicated issues with prosperity messages that lack balance.
The United States government is coming in along aside some other world leaders; what do you expect?
Their success will still need the cooperation of Nigerians. Anyway, didn’t the US go to Iraq? We’ve seen all the success they had; haven’t we? They’ve been in Afghanistan for how many years now and we’ve seen their success indeed. Is terrorism something you wish for? As you are moving, they are expanding! Talking about training the next leaders, Boko Haram is training the next set of people that will go and detonate bombs.
Back to government, you sound like it has lived up to expectations…
Nigerian government has always been failing its people and this administration too, I must say, has failed in the areas of water and infrastructure. But when it comes to terrorism, I can excuse President Jonathan. On electricity, everybody knows that there are certain people in this country that do not want electricity to be stagnant because they have to keep selling their generator and fuel. This is in spite of whatever effort or fault of President Jonathan, directly or indirectly. Who will buy generator if there’s electricity? And do you remember people own these businesses? Some us of are just trying to politicize all these issues even when we know the truth. Are you telling me that opposition parties fighting to come into power are also not being sponsored by fuel lifters and generator producers and sellers? Will they now make light work and allow their sponsors loose money? And you know the cost of vying for election in this country which always puts political leaders at the mercy of business moguls. As far as I’m concerned anyway, this government has tried and you can quote me any day.
Why do you say so?
The previous government did not do better. As a person, I’ve gained from this government. How? For eight years, I went to Ilorin to preach in a particular church and I went by road. Last December, for the first time, I went to Ilorin by air. We know how airports have been down for 30 years without changes. The Ilorin airport was inside thick bush, covered with bushes, until this administration revived it through Stella Oduah. That’s why we need more women in government. That saved me a lot of hours and fatigue and it was done in two years. What about the local and international airports in Lagos? I’m a pilot’s wife, so, I’ve been around airports for decades. It took this administration to revive these airports. Even the light we’re complaining about, it is a bit better than previous administrations.
Now, let’s talk about the sort of challenge our notoriously porous borders will pose to addressing the present unrest in the country…
Who told you our security agents do not know those that come into Nigeria daily? They know. Have you traveled the borders lately? I went to preach in Port Novo and the Republic of Benin, and it took us five hours to cross five meters. Why? Corruption. The moment the security agents at the Nigerian border saw our personalities, they started demanding all kinds of things.
Meanwhile, all kinds of funny people on foot, okada and vehicles were just passing freely. But by the time we crossed to the other countries, we didn’t spend up to ten minutes at their borders. Seme border that should have been structured long time ago has been left undone to aid this same corruption because computerizing access to the border would have stalled certain corrupt practices. So, what are we saying? You’ll see building materials abandoned around the borders because some people are in the system working seriously against the competition of the borders. Is it Jonathan that is manning those borders or fellow Nigerians like us? I believe we must begin to change as individuals if we must change this country. Is it drivers’ license and the cumbersome process of securing it as a result of corruption?
Have you seen the publicized video in which Shekau vows to kill all Christians?
I have but that’s not possible. This incident is also an awakening for Christians who have left the place of prayer and have turned the altar of God into a place for buying and selling. It is high time we started doing the right thing.
*Corruption, root of nation’s disaster
*How parents have failed
BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA
What do you think of the recent twist to the insurgent in North-East Nigeria; that’s the kidnap of schoolgirls?
I’m going to give answers to that question as a woman, mother and as a pastor. As a woman, first and foremost, we know clearly that these girls are going to be beaten and raped; and most of them are virgins. Definitely, that’s going to affect them because if we want to have better women, we must make sure the girl child is well-trained, emotionally balanced, healthy and educated. So, these people are going to release to us horrible women in future. As a mother, this is not something that any mother should even imagine. My biological daughters are not among them but I must tell you that for weeks, I’ve been very sad. When I close my eyes, it’s like I’m seeing them screaming while being raped. I’m praying to God seriously about it because it is very disturbing.
What if one of those girls is the only child or daughter of the parents? We’re not even sure all of them are alive! As a pastor, I want to tell everyone that this is the opportunity for God to uncover these people because I’m sure even their founding sponsors are no longer in support of their actions. They now have other means of getting money and have become bosses of their own, and not of those who actually introduced them for political purpose. If truly their god says these girls should not go to school, did that god also say they should forcefully marry them?
The Federal Government is presently being castigated for failing to intervene timely though it claims to have been working round the clock. Do you think government has actually intervened in a shrewd and timely manner?
In as much as I do not have any dealings or business directly with government, I’m somebody that calls a spade a spade. We’re all saying government did not do this and that but do we agree that there are many things that happen individually in our different homes that we handle wrongly?
That’s just a small family; not to talk about a whole country. I’m not taking side with government. Yes, we say they could have acted timely but how do they act timely if they do not have adequate information and equipment? These people work with information and that’s why they have been able to successfully carryout series of bombing! Let us just pray for God’s wisdom. Again, talking about government; most of their children are outside this country. It has to affect somebody directly for that person to stand up radically. How many of their daughters are amongst these children?
But they do have an obligation to protect the lives of every citizen of this country…
A typical African man has the obligation to take care of his wife and children but how many of them do so? If the wife just manages to secure a small job, that’s the end of feeding allowance! They’ll say “Are you not working?” It’s this same set of people that are shouting in the press that government is not doing anything. The problem with us as Nigerians is that we fail to see that we are all government and are supposed to work together on this matter. Initially, when Boko Haram came up, people kept quiet because it was political and was meeting their desires and needs. Now, everyone is panicking because it has touched us all. Some are even using it to become very popular, writing petitions here and there and shouting “Release our girls, release our girls” even when they do not mean it. Why is it that it’s the abduction of the girls that we’re crying about? What about the bombings that have killed so many Christians? Did we make any noise? Or didn’t we have innocent girls as well as pregnant women that died in those bomb blasts? I am not seeing this development as a separate entity but as one with the killings of the past. Again, how can government help? We know that the government is corrupt and that there are informants, right inside government, who always work the success of the administration.
Now, what are you saying the solutions are?
We must go back to the subject of corruption- corruption of the mind, emotions, spirit and whatever you can think of. I can bet you that if a party takes over from this party, they’re not going to do any better because it is still going to be run by human beings from this same country. I do not know which party will tell me they’re coming as a party that isn’t corrupt. The fact is that corruption is the root of Nigerian government’s inability to rescue those abducted girls till date. I say this because there are many who have information about where these girls are but are willing to keep quiet for one reason or the other. One step however will be to carryout investigations on companies selling those sophisticated ammunitions and armored cars, and trace the buyers and shipments. That way, a lot of culprits will be revealed.
But are you excusing the Federal Government?
If anyone wants to condemn government, let him first go on the internet and read on terrorism. It’s a terrible thing because you don’t know who is financing them and they themselves might not even know their real sponsors.
Besides, can you honestly tell me how the average Nigerian on the street behaves? As we’re condemning government, do you know how many Nigerian women are being violated domestically? How many girls are being sexually abused by their fathers everyday? It is not just to make noise about government. We’re all Nigerians and are not going to buy leaders from Cotonou or Ghana. Our leaders come right from this same society and the society has always been corrupt. The market woman takes advantage of increase in food prices and adds money to goods she bought ever before the increase. She will tell you “they’ve added money”. We didn’t buy leaders from anywhere; these were leaders produced from our individual homes and who sucked the breasts of Nigerian mothers who watched their children misbehaved until they grew up and became leaders? Who are Boko Harams? Are they not children born by women from this same society? We say they’re from Chad but we’re just deceiving ourselves. This country needs help and as a women advocate, I urge every woman to go back home and begin to train the next set of leaders; these ones have disappointed us and we have agreed, but who are we going to replace them with? Meanwhile, our next sets of leaders are already in our houses, messed up. Nigeria was celebrating its centenary and alcohol companies were telling us how they make billions in Nigeria. Every nook and cranny of our country has beer parlours with long cars parked by young men on a regular basis. These are the people that will rule us tomorrow. So, let all those men and women complaining about government go back home and do their work because we’re already grooming our next set of leaders and already, they’re drunkards, drug addicts, gays, wife beaters, criminals and many more. The church is also guilty because it has complicated issues with prosperity messages that lack balance.
The United States government is coming in along aside some other world leaders; what do you expect?
Their success will still need the cooperation of Nigerians. Anyway, didn’t the US go to Iraq? We’ve seen all the success they had; haven’t we? They’ve been in Afghanistan for how many years now and we’ve seen their success indeed. Is terrorism something you wish for? As you are moving, they are expanding! Talking about training the next leaders, Boko Haram is training the next set of people that will go and detonate bombs.
Back to government, you sound like it has lived up to expectations…
Nigerian government has always been failing its people and this administration too, I must say, has failed in the areas of water and infrastructure. But when it comes to terrorism, I can excuse President Jonathan. On electricity, everybody knows that there are certain people in this country that do not want electricity to be stagnant because they have to keep selling their generator and fuel. This is in spite of whatever effort or fault of President Jonathan, directly or indirectly. Who will buy generator if there’s electricity? And do you remember people own these businesses? Some us of are just trying to politicize all these issues even when we know the truth. Are you telling me that opposition parties fighting to come into power are also not being sponsored by fuel lifters and generator producers and sellers? Will they now make light work and allow their sponsors loose money? And you know the cost of vying for election in this country which always puts political leaders at the mercy of business moguls. As far as I’m concerned anyway, this government has tried and you can quote me any day.
Why do you say so?
The previous government did not do better. As a person, I’ve gained from this government. How? For eight years, I went to Ilorin to preach in a particular church and I went by road. Last December, for the first time, I went to Ilorin by air. We know how airports have been down for 30 years without changes. The Ilorin airport was inside thick bush, covered with bushes, until this administration revived it through Stella Oduah. That’s why we need more women in government. That saved me a lot of hours and fatigue and it was done in two years. What about the local and international airports in Lagos? I’m a pilot’s wife, so, I’ve been around airports for decades. It took this administration to revive these airports. Even the light we’re complaining about, it is a bit better than previous administrations.
Now, let’s talk about the sort of challenge our notoriously porous borders will pose to addressing the present unrest in the country…
Who told you our security agents do not know those that come into Nigeria daily? They know. Have you traveled the borders lately? I went to preach in Port Novo and the Republic of Benin, and it took us five hours to cross five meters. Why? Corruption. The moment the security agents at the Nigerian border saw our personalities, they started demanding all kinds of things.
Meanwhile, all kinds of funny people on foot, okada and vehicles were just passing freely. But by the time we crossed to the other countries, we didn’t spend up to ten minutes at their borders. Seme border that should have been structured long time ago has been left undone to aid this same corruption because computerizing access to the border would have stalled certain corrupt practices. So, what are we saying? You’ll see building materials abandoned around the borders because some people are in the system working seriously against the competition of the borders. Is it Jonathan that is manning those borders or fellow Nigerians like us? I believe we must begin to change as individuals if we must change this country. Is it drivers’ license and the cumbersome process of securing it as a result of corruption?
Have you seen the publicized video in which Shekau vows to kill all Christians?
I have but that’s not possible. This incident is also an awakening for Christians who have left the place of prayer and have turned the altar of God into a place for buying and selling. It is high time we started doing the right thing.
CHIBOK GIRLS’ DELAYED RESCUE: Nigerian government prototype of the average Nigerian — Pastor Ruth Essien
*Says next set of Nigerian leaders already messed up
*Corruption, root of nation’s disaster
*How parents have failed
BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA
What do you think of the recent twist to the insurgent in North-East Nigeria; that’s the kidnap of schoolgirls?
I’m going to give answers to that question as a woman, mother and as a pastor. As a woman, first and foremost, we know clearly that these girls are going to be beaten and raped; and most of them are virgins. Definitely, that’s going to affect them because if we want to have better women, we must make sure the girl child is well-trained, emotionally balanced, healthy and educated. So, these people are going to release to us horrible women in future. As a mother, this is not something that any mother should even imagine. My biological daughters are not among them but I must tell you that for weeks, I’ve been very sad. When I close my eyes, it’s like I’m seeing them screaming while being raped. I’m praying to God seriously about it because it is very disturbing.
What if one of those girls is the only child or daughter of the parents? We’re not even sure all of them are alive! As a pastor, I want to tell everyone that this is the opportunity for God to uncover these people because I’m sure even their founding sponsors are no longer in support of their actions. They now have other means of getting money and have become bosses of their own, and not of those who actually introduced them for political purpose. If truly their god says these girls should not go to school, did that god also say they should forcefully marry them?
The Federal Government is presently being castigated for failing to intervene timely though it claims to have been working round the clock. Do you think government has actually intervened in a shrewd and timely manner?
In as much as I do not have any dealings or business directly with government, I’m somebody that calls a spade a spade. We’re all saying government did not do this and that but do we agree that there are many things that happen individually in our different homes that we handle wrongly?
That’s just a small family; not to talk about a whole country. I’m not taking side with government. Yes, we say they could have acted timely but how do they act timely if they do not have adequate information and equipment? These people work with information and that’s why they have been able to successfully carryout series of bombing! Let us just pray for God’s wisdom. Again, talking about government; most of their children are outside this country. It has to affect somebody directly for that person to stand up radically. How many of their daughters are amongst these children?
But they do have an obligation to protect the lives of every citizen of this country…
A typical African man has the obligation to take care of his wife and children but how many of them do so? If the wife just manages to secure a small job, that’s the end of feeding allowance! They’ll say “Are you not working?” It’s this same set of people that are shouting in the press that government is not doing anything. The problem with us as Nigerians is that we fail to see that we are all government and are supposed to work together on this matter. Initially, when Boko Haram came up, people kept quiet because it was political and was meeting their desires and needs. Now, everyone is panicking because it has touched us all. Some are even using it to become very popular, writing petitions here and there and shouting “Release our girls, release our girls” even when they do not mean it. Why is it that it’s the abduction of the girls that we’re crying about? What about the bombings that have killed so many Christians? Did we make any noise? Or didn’t we have innocent girls as well as pregnant women that died in those bomb blasts? I am not seeing this development as a separate entity but as one with the killings of the past. Again, how can government help? We know that the government is corrupt and that there are informants, right inside government, who always work the success of the administration.
Now, what are you saying the solutions are?
We must go back to the subject of corruption- corruption of the mind, emotions, spirit and whatever you can think of. I can bet you that if a party takes over from this party, they’re not going to do any better because it is still going to be run by human beings from this same country. I do not know which party will tell me they’re coming as a party that isn’t corrupt. The fact is that corruption is the root of Nigerian government’s inability to rescue those abducted girls till date. I say this because there are many who have information about where these girls are but are willing to keep quiet for one reason or the other. One step however will be to carryout investigations on companies selling those sophisticated ammunitions and armored cars, and trace the buyers and shipments. That way, a lot of culprits will be revealed.
But are you excusing the Federal Government?
If anyone wants to condemn government, let him first go on the internet and read on terrorism. It’s a terrible thing because you don’t know who is financing them and they themselves might not even know their real sponsors.
Besides, can you honestly tell me how the average Nigerian on the street behaves? As we’re condemning government, do you know how many Nigerian women are being violated domestically? How many girls are being sexually abused by their fathers everyday? It is not just to make noise about government. We’re all Nigerians and are not going to buy leaders from Cotonou or Ghana. Our leaders come right from this same society and the society has always been corrupt. The market woman takes advantage of increase in food prices and adds money to goods she bought ever before the increase. She will tell you “they’ve added money”. We didn’t buy leaders from anywhere; these were leaders produced from our individual homes and who sucked the breasts of Nigerian mothers who watched their children misbehaved until they grew up and became leaders? Who are Boko Harams? Are they not children born by women from this same society? We say they’re from Chad but we’re just deceiving ourselves. This country needs help and as a women advocate, I urge every woman to go back home and begin to train the next set of leaders; these ones have disappointed us and we have agreed, but who are we going to replace them with? Meanwhile, our next sets of leaders are already in our houses, messed up. Nigeria was celebrating its centenary and alcohol companies were telling us how they make billions in Nigeria. Every nook and cranny of our country has beer parlours with long cars parked by young men on a regular basis. These are the people that will rule us tomorrow. So, let all those men and women complaining about government go back home and do their work because we’re already grooming our next set of leaders and already, they’re drunkards, drug addicts, gays, wife beaters, criminals and many more. The church is also guilty because it has complicated issues with prosperity messages that lack balance.
The United States government is coming in along aside some other world leaders; what do you expect?
Their success will still need the cooperation of Nigerians. Anyway, didn’t the US go to Iraq? We’ve seen all the success they had; haven’t we? They’ve been in Afghanistan for how many years now and we’ve seen their success indeed. Is terrorism something you wish for? As you are moving, they are expanding! Talking about training the next leaders, Boko Haram is training the next set of people that will go and detonate bombs.
Back to government, you sound like it has lived up to expectations…
Nigerian government has always been failing its people and this administration too, I must say, has failed in the areas of water and infrastructure. But when it comes to terrorism, I can excuse President Jonathan. On electricity, everybody knows that there are certain people in this country that do not want electricity to be stagnant because they have to keep selling their generator and fuel. This is in spite of whatever effort or fault of President Jonathan, directly or indirectly. Who will buy generator if there’s electricity? And do you remember people own these businesses? Some us of are just trying to politicize all these issues even when we know the truth. Are you telling me that opposition parties fighting to come into power are also not being sponsored by fuel lifters and generator producers and sellers? Will they now make light work and allow their sponsors loose money? And you know the cost of vying for election in this country which always puts political leaders at the mercy of business moguls. As far as I’m concerned anyway, this government has tried and you can quote me any day.
Why do you say so?
The previous government did not do better. As a person, I’ve gained from this government. How? For eight years, I went to Ilorin to preach in a particular church and I went by road. Last December, for the first time, I went to Ilorin by air. We know how airports have been down for 30 years without changes. The Ilorin airport was inside thick bush, covered with bushes, until this administration revived it through Stella Oduah. That’s why we need more women in government. That saved me a lot of hours and fatigue and it was done in two years. What about the local and international airports in Lagos? I’m a pilot’s wife, so, I’ve been around airports for decades. It took this administration to revive these airports. Even the light we’re complaining about, it is a bit better than previous administrations.
Now, let’s talk about the sort of challenge our notoriously porous borders will pose to addressing the present unrest in the country…
Who told you our security agents do not know those that come into Nigeria daily? They know. Have you traveled the borders lately? I went to preach in Port Novo and the Republic of Benin, and it took us five hours to cross five meters. Why? Corruption. The moment the security agents at the Nigerian border saw our personalities, they started demanding all kinds of things.
Meanwhile, all kinds of funny people on foot, okada and vehicles were just passing freely. But by the time we crossed to the other countries, we didn’t spend up to ten minutes at their borders. Seme border that should have been structured long time ago has been left undone to aid this same corruption because computerizing access to the border would have stalled certain corrupt practices. So, what are we saying? You’ll see building materials abandoned around the borders because some people are in the system working seriously against the competition of the borders. Is it Jonathan that is manning those borders or fellow Nigerians like us? I believe we must begin to change as individuals if we must change this country. Is it drivers’ license and the cumbersome process of securing it as a result of corruption?
Have you seen the publicized video in which Shekau vows to kill all Christians?
I have but that’s not possible. This incident is also an awakening for Christians who have left the place of prayer and have turned the altar of God into a place for buying and selling. It is high time we started doing the right thing.
*Corruption, root of nation’s disaster
*How parents have failed
BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA
What do you think of the recent twist to the insurgent in North-East Nigeria; that’s the kidnap of schoolgirls?
I’m going to give answers to that question as a woman, mother and as a pastor. As a woman, first and foremost, we know clearly that these girls are going to be beaten and raped; and most of them are virgins. Definitely, that’s going to affect them because if we want to have better women, we must make sure the girl child is well-trained, emotionally balanced, healthy and educated. So, these people are going to release to us horrible women in future. As a mother, this is not something that any mother should even imagine. My biological daughters are not among them but I must tell you that for weeks, I’ve been very sad. When I close my eyes, it’s like I’m seeing them screaming while being raped. I’m praying to God seriously about it because it is very disturbing.
What if one of those girls is the only child or daughter of the parents? We’re not even sure all of them are alive! As a pastor, I want to tell everyone that this is the opportunity for God to uncover these people because I’m sure even their founding sponsors are no longer in support of their actions. They now have other means of getting money and have become bosses of their own, and not of those who actually introduced them for political purpose. If truly their god says these girls should not go to school, did that god also say they should forcefully marry them?
The Federal Government is presently being castigated for failing to intervene timely though it claims to have been working round the clock. Do you think government has actually intervened in a shrewd and timely manner?
In as much as I do not have any dealings or business directly with government, I’m somebody that calls a spade a spade. We’re all saying government did not do this and that but do we agree that there are many things that happen individually in our different homes that we handle wrongly?
That’s just a small family; not to talk about a whole country. I’m not taking side with government. Yes, we say they could have acted timely but how do they act timely if they do not have adequate information and equipment? These people work with information and that’s why they have been able to successfully carryout series of bombing! Let us just pray for God’s wisdom. Again, talking about government; most of their children are outside this country. It has to affect somebody directly for that person to stand up radically. How many of their daughters are amongst these children?
But they do have an obligation to protect the lives of every citizen of this country…
A typical African man has the obligation to take care of his wife and children but how many of them do so? If the wife just manages to secure a small job, that’s the end of feeding allowance! They’ll say “Are you not working?” It’s this same set of people that are shouting in the press that government is not doing anything. The problem with us as Nigerians is that we fail to see that we are all government and are supposed to work together on this matter. Initially, when Boko Haram came up, people kept quiet because it was political and was meeting their desires and needs. Now, everyone is panicking because it has touched us all. Some are even using it to become very popular, writing petitions here and there and shouting “Release our girls, release our girls” even when they do not mean it. Why is it that it’s the abduction of the girls that we’re crying about? What about the bombings that have killed so many Christians? Did we make any noise? Or didn’t we have innocent girls as well as pregnant women that died in those bomb blasts? I am not seeing this development as a separate entity but as one with the killings of the past. Again, how can government help? We know that the government is corrupt and that there are informants, right inside government, who always work the success of the administration.
Now, what are you saying the solutions are?
We must go back to the subject of corruption- corruption of the mind, emotions, spirit and whatever you can think of. I can bet you that if a party takes over from this party, they’re not going to do any better because it is still going to be run by human beings from this same country. I do not know which party will tell me they’re coming as a party that isn’t corrupt. The fact is that corruption is the root of Nigerian government’s inability to rescue those abducted girls till date. I say this because there are many who have information about where these girls are but are willing to keep quiet for one reason or the other. One step however will be to carryout investigations on companies selling those sophisticated ammunitions and armored cars, and trace the buyers and shipments. That way, a lot of culprits will be revealed.
But are you excusing the Federal Government?
If anyone wants to condemn government, let him first go on the internet and read on terrorism. It’s a terrible thing because you don’t know who is financing them and they themselves might not even know their real sponsors.
Besides, can you honestly tell me how the average Nigerian on the street behaves? As we’re condemning government, do you know how many Nigerian women are being violated domestically? How many girls are being sexually abused by their fathers everyday? It is not just to make noise about government. We’re all Nigerians and are not going to buy leaders from Cotonou or Ghana. Our leaders come right from this same society and the society has always been corrupt. The market woman takes advantage of increase in food prices and adds money to goods she bought ever before the increase. She will tell you “they’ve added money”. We didn’t buy leaders from anywhere; these were leaders produced from our individual homes and who sucked the breasts of Nigerian mothers who watched their children misbehaved until they grew up and became leaders? Who are Boko Harams? Are they not children born by women from this same society? We say they’re from Chad but we’re just deceiving ourselves. This country needs help and as a women advocate, I urge every woman to go back home and begin to train the next set of leaders; these ones have disappointed us and we have agreed, but who are we going to replace them with? Meanwhile, our next sets of leaders are already in our houses, messed up. Nigeria was celebrating its centenary and alcohol companies were telling us how they make billions in Nigeria. Every nook and cranny of our country has beer parlours with long cars parked by young men on a regular basis. These are the people that will rule us tomorrow. So, let all those men and women complaining about government go back home and do their work because we’re already grooming our next set of leaders and already, they’re drunkards, drug addicts, gays, wife beaters, criminals and many more. The church is also guilty because it has complicated issues with prosperity messages that lack balance.
The United States government is coming in along aside some other world leaders; what do you expect?
Their success will still need the cooperation of Nigerians. Anyway, didn’t the US go to Iraq? We’ve seen all the success they had; haven’t we? They’ve been in Afghanistan for how many years now and we’ve seen their success indeed. Is terrorism something you wish for? As you are moving, they are expanding! Talking about training the next leaders, Boko Haram is training the next set of people that will go and detonate bombs.
Back to government, you sound like it has lived up to expectations…
Nigerian government has always been failing its people and this administration too, I must say, has failed in the areas of water and infrastructure. But when it comes to terrorism, I can excuse President Jonathan. On electricity, everybody knows that there are certain people in this country that do not want electricity to be stagnant because they have to keep selling their generator and fuel. This is in spite of whatever effort or fault of President Jonathan, directly or indirectly. Who will buy generator if there’s electricity? And do you remember people own these businesses? Some us of are just trying to politicize all these issues even when we know the truth. Are you telling me that opposition parties fighting to come into power are also not being sponsored by fuel lifters and generator producers and sellers? Will they now make light work and allow their sponsors loose money? And you know the cost of vying for election in this country which always puts political leaders at the mercy of business moguls. As far as I’m concerned anyway, this government has tried and you can quote me any day.
Why do you say so?
The previous government did not do better. As a person, I’ve gained from this government. How? For eight years, I went to Ilorin to preach in a particular church and I went by road. Last December, for the first time, I went to Ilorin by air. We know how airports have been down for 30 years without changes. The Ilorin airport was inside thick bush, covered with bushes, until this administration revived it through Stella Oduah. That’s why we need more women in government. That saved me a lot of hours and fatigue and it was done in two years. What about the local and international airports in Lagos? I’m a pilot’s wife, so, I’ve been around airports for decades. It took this administration to revive these airports. Even the light we’re complaining about, it is a bit better than previous administrations.
Now, let’s talk about the sort of challenge our notoriously porous borders will pose to addressing the present unrest in the country…
Who told you our security agents do not know those that come into Nigeria daily? They know. Have you traveled the borders lately? I went to preach in Port Novo and the Republic of Benin, and it took us five hours to cross five meters. Why? Corruption. The moment the security agents at the Nigerian border saw our personalities, they started demanding all kinds of things.
Meanwhile, all kinds of funny people on foot, okada and vehicles were just passing freely. But by the time we crossed to the other countries, we didn’t spend up to ten minutes at their borders. Seme border that should have been structured long time ago has been left undone to aid this same corruption because computerizing access to the border would have stalled certain corrupt practices. So, what are we saying? You’ll see building materials abandoned around the borders because some people are in the system working seriously against the competition of the borders. Is it Jonathan that is manning those borders or fellow Nigerians like us? I believe we must begin to change as individuals if we must change this country. Is it drivers’ license and the cumbersome process of securing it as a result of corruption?
Have you seen the publicized video in which Shekau vows to kill all Christians?
I have but that’s not possible. This incident is also an awakening for Christians who have left the place of prayer and have turned the altar of God into a place for buying and selling. It is high time we started doing the right thing.
.LKKoayfh.dpuf
Jonathan orders total war against Boko Haram
President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: Reuters
| credits: Reuters
President
Goodluck Jonathan has directed the armed forces to launch a
full-scale military operation against Boko Haram and other violent
organisations to put an end to their impunity in the country.
“I am determined to protect our
democracy, our national unity and our political stability by waging a
total war against terrorism,” he said in his nationwide Democracy Day
broadcast in Abuja on Thursday.
It was not immediately known what such an
offensive could entail given that the North-East where most of the
activities of terrorists take place has been under emergency rule
and a full-scale military operation for a year now.
But a top Defence Headquarters official told The PUNCH
shortly after the broadcast that the Special Forces and other security
operatives involved in the prosecution of the anti-terrorism campaign
would have a near unlimited space to operate.
The phrase “total war”, however, was used
by Chad’s President Idriss Deby following a meeting of Nigeria’s
neighbours in Paris in mid-May, in which they sought a common strategy
to fight the militants.
“I assure you … that these thugs will be
driven away. It will not happen overnight, but we will spare no effort
to achieve this goal,” Jonathan said.
The President explained that the
full-scale operation against the terrorists had become imperative
because they had unleashed war on Nigeria.
But he still did not rule out “dialogue, reconciliation” with the insurgents if they renounced terrorism and embraced peace.
Jonathan said that Nigeria’s unity, stability and the protection of lives and property were non-negotiable.
He restated the determination of his administration to protect the nation’s democracy, national unity and political stability.
The President said the activities of
terror groups in the country had caused debilitating pains and horror
for the nation particularly the abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok,
Borno, on April 14.
“It is now 45 days since the horrifying
abduction of the college girls of Chibok. I share the deep pain and
anxiety of their parents and guardians.
“I assure them once again that government will continue to do everything possible to bring our daughters home.
“I am determined to protect our
democracy, our national unity and our political stability, by waging a
total war against terrorism. The unity and stability of our country, and
the protection of lives and property are non-negotiable. I have
instructed our security forces to launch a full-scale operation to put
an end to the impunity of terrorists on our soil.
“I have also authorised the security forces to use any means necessary under the law to ensure that this is done.
“I assure you that Nigeria will be safe again, and that these thugs will be driven away.
“It will not happen overnight, but we will spare no effort to achieve this goal.”
Jonathan lamented that terrorists
were threatening to rubbish all the gains of the past 15 years of
democratic governance in the country.
He also maintained that foreign
elements were collaborating with some misguided Nigerians to bring down
the country as well as its democracy and freedom.
Jonathan said the abduction of the
schoolgirls showed the heartless nature of terrorists who he said wanted
to instigate a descent into anarchy and balkanise the nation.
He said, “It is a sad fact that as I
address you today(Thursday), all the gains of the past 15 years of
democratic governance in our country are threatened by the presence of
international terrorism on our shores.
“Our dear country, Nigeria is facing a
new challenge. A war has been unleashed on us. Extremist foreign
elements, collaborating with some of our misguided citizens, are focused
on an attempt to bring down our country and the democracy and freedom
we cherish and celebrate today.
“The despicable abduction of schoolgirls
from Chibok in Borno State has brought to the awareness of the entire
world, the heartless nature of these terrorists who want to instigate a
descent into anarchy and balkanise our nation.
“In recent years, terrorist attacks have
claimed the lives of several of our compatriots, many have been injured
or maimed, whole villages and communities have been destroyed and the
economy of some of our states is in jeopardy.
“There can be no doubt that what we are
witnessing in Nigeria today is a manifestation of the same warped and
ferocious world view that brought down the Twin Towers in New York,
killed innocent persons in Boston and led to the murder of defenceless
people in the Southern Russian city of Volgograd.
“Terrorist activities have brought war
and pains to Mali, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
These agents of evil continue to brainwash and incite ignorant young men
and women to attack the innocent. We cannot allow this to continue.”
Jonathan said he welcomed the statements
of solidarity from patriotic citizens and the global community in
support of his government’s efforts to stamp out terrorism.
He also applauded the understanding that
in a democracy, people could have differences while sharing worthy
values and standing together in opposition to terrorism.
The President said since Nigeria was the
only country Nigerians had, they must all work to preserve it for
present and future generations.
He commended the nation’s security
agencies and urged Nigerians not to forget their gallantry and successes
in liberating nations like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo, Sudan, Mali
and Guinea-Bissau.
Jonathan added, “We must show confidence
in their ability. I have no doubt that, with the support of Nigerians,
our neighbours and the international community, we will reinforce our
defence, free our girls and rid Nigeria of terrorists.
“For our citizens who have joined hands
with al-Qaeda and international terrorists in the misguided belief that
violence can possibly solve their problems, our doors remain open to
them for dialogue and reconciliation, if they renounce terrorism and
embrace peace.
“My government, while pursuing security
measures, will explore all options, including readiness to accept
unconditional renunciation of violence by insurgents, and to ensure
their de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and re-integration into the
broader society.”
The President said Nigerians must work with the security agencies to overcome the terrorists.
While admitting that the war against terror may be difficult, he assured Nigerians that the days of peace would come again.
He said terror was evil and nowhere in history had evil endured forever.
“The menace of Boko Haram will surely
come to an end. I believe that because of your prayers, your courage,
hard work, faith and sacrifice, we will ultimately prevail over the
terrorists and all other evil forces.
“We are a strong, resilient and
courageous people. We will continue to partner the civilised world to
confront international terrorism and every other challenge that comes
our way with patriotic zeal and determination.
“Yes, we have challenges but we will
surely overcome. Nigeria is our country. Nigeria is blessed. We will all
collectively protect, defend and develop this country for ourselves,
and our children,”Jonathan said.
Despite the security challenges Jonathan
said Nigeria had come a long way and made notable progress since its
first Democracy Day on May 29, 1999.
He said although he had ordered a low-key
commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day in deference to the current
mood of the nation, there was no doubt that the past 15 years had been a
blessing to Nigerians.
The PUNCH learnt from a top
official of the DHQ in Abuja that the military was expected to be more
frontal in the fight against the insurgents.
The official, who pleaded not to be
named, said that troops and their commanders would no longer bother
about diplomacy and other factors which inhibited the operations in some
ways.
It was further stated that the statement was expected to be followed with troops and equipment deployment.
Our source said, “The President has
created a division in that area; he has created more brigades and we
now have more battalions on the ground.
“With his statement, the war is expected
to gather momentum; there would be no more diplomacy; it is expected to
be more frontal. I think ‘frontal’ is the word to watch out for now.
“Also, there would be deployment of troops and equipment.”
When contacted, the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said,
“Watch out for subsequent development, thank you.”
Jonathan declares amnesty for B’Haram members
At another event organised to mark
the Democracy Day for youths, the Minister of Youth Development, Mr.
Boni Haruna, announced that Jonathan had offered amnesty for Boko
Haram members ready to lay down their arms and embrace peace.
Haruna, who gave an overview of youths’
position in the present administration’s transformation agenda at an
event attended by Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo, said the
offer was part of youths-friendly programmes and policies of the
government.
The event was almost marred by power
failure that happened when the President mounted the podium to present a
compendium of his administration’s achievements in the last one year
and answer questions from youths.
Haruna said, “President Jonathan has also
declared amnesty for members of the Boko Haram sect. A series of
integration programmes have been lined up for members of the sect who
would surrender their arms and embrace peace.”
He therefore called on the sect members to embrace the government’s gesture by keying into the amnesty programme.
The minister recalled that in the wake of
youth restiveness in the Niger Delta, the government came up with a
development programme which provided an opportunity for the youth to
express themselves and have a meaningful life.
Haruna said although the amnesty
programme was a fallout of a bitter national security challenge , its
effect on the youth had been profound.
He disclosed that 30,000 youths that
benefitted from the programme transformed from militants to wealth
creators, employers of labour and skilled citizens.
Jonathan while answering questions from
youths who attended the programme tagged “A day with young leaders of
Nigeria,” said the military alone was incapable of stopping terrorism
or any kind of radicalism alone .
Pointing out that terrorism could not
succeed in any community without local support, Jonathan stressed the
need for people respected by insurgents to join hands with the
government to persuade them to desist from violence.
He said, “Terror succeeds with local
support. It will be difficult for terror to thrive where people reject
it. It is a major challenge to all of us.
“Military alone cannot stop terror or any
radicalism. Terrorists have people they respect, they have community,
traditional and opinion leaders they respect. All of us can deradicalise
them.
“We will through persuasive activities encourage people to shun violence.”
He said the Federal Government was
already working out the modalities for reintroducing moral education
into the school curriculum.
This, he said, would assist in re-orientating young people.
Jonathan promised that his administration
would continue to encourage young people because they are no longer
leaders of tomorrow but of today.
He said youths were already leading
because they decide who rules at all levels of government by virtue of
their population which he put at 60 per cent of the electorate.
The President also reiterated his position that the nation’s income distribution was skewed.
While saying that government was working
hard to redistribute wealth, he added that one of the priorities of his
government was to encourage self-employment.
Responding to a question on the need to
have a youth as the Minister of Youth Development, Jonathan said, “the
best person to take care of a child may not necessarily be a child.”
He added that the young ones needed to
tap from the experiences of older ones. He also stressed the need for
political parties to give women more opportunities.
The event which was held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, was nearly marred by interruption in power supply.
The incident occurred at the time
Jonathan mounted the podium. He remained standing in front of the
participants with his security aides for about 15 minutes while the
power failure lasted.
He was on the verge of returning to his seat to give the organisers time to rectify the fault when power was finally restored.
The President of the Senate, David Mark,
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, were
among the dignitaries who did not attend the event.
The tone for the event was set by the
Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, who narrated
the circumstances leading to his appointment as a minister at a young
age of 33.
The event featured the presentation of
the third anniversary of the present administration’s transformation
agenda in book form by the President, a video documentary of the third
anniversary of the transformation agenda and the launching of Youth
Entrepreneurial Mentorship and Empowerment Scheme, among others.
Highlights of the event included a motivational talk by the Chief Executive Officer, Mara Foundation, Mr. Ashish Takker.
Takker is said to be the youngest African billionaire.
Abduction of schoolgirls, major dent on Nigeria’s security -Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan
President
Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday admitted that the April 14 abduction of
schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State was a major dent on the nation’s
security.
He said the abduction and other violence being unleashed on the country by the Boko Haram sect were signs that Nigeria is facing challenges of evil forces.
Jonathan spoke at the 2014 Democracy Day Interdenominational Church Service with the theme “Love The Lord…and your Neighbour” held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.
“We have been witnessing terror attacks for two years plus, but the Chibok incident has added a major dent to the security of the country. There is nothing God cannot do. With your prayers, our girls will be seen by our security personnel,” he said.
The President who touched on several national issues during the remarks said the objective of those unleashing violence on the nation was to bring down his government.
He said despite their evil machinations however, the country would continue to move forward.
He also assured Nigerians that despite the security challenges in parts of the country, elections would hold next year as scheduled.
The President said one of the beauties of democracy which the nation has been practising for the past 15 years is that every public office holder knows the terminal date of his administration.
He said despite the problems associated with democracy, it remains the best form of government.
He however posited that four or even 10 years are not enough to develop a nation, adding that nation building is a continuous exercise.
He said the revamping of the rail sector, the privatisation of the power sector, the housing sector, industrial development, the remodeling of the nation’s airports and the reforms in the agricultural sector among others were clear signs that his transformation promises to Nigerians were not mere political promises.
While pointing to the successful hosting of the World Economic Forum for Africa, Jonathan said Nigeria under his watch would have gone farther but for the distractions being targeted at his government.
He recalled that some forces wanted to frustrate the event by detonating bombs in Nyanya, a satellite town of Abuja.
He reiterated his position that but for the prayers of Nigerians, the security challenges in the country would have been worse.
“After today, the next Democracy Day will witness a new government.
“I remember when I was in my village this morning to collect my permanent voters card and a pressman asked me whether there will be election in Nigeria and I told him there will be elections in the country.
“This country will continue to move in spite of some of the setbacks we are witnessing,” the President said.
Quoting from the Holy Bible, the President said nothing could separate Nigerians from the love of God because forces of retrogression had always remained part of human history.
“In human history, either individuals or societies, they are always confronted with two forces- the forces of development and forces of retrogression, sometimes they call them evil forces.
“Our country is facing the challenges of some of these forces, the evil forces. I really do not want to celebrate the evil forces because surely,mwe will go over it.
“You will agree with me that within these three years of this government, our agenda for transformation is coming out.
“We have not reached where we want to go but there are certain signs that people will use to know whether government is committed or is deceiving,” he added.
Jonathan said his government was working and would continue to work since the nation had not reached its destination.
On national development, he said, “Definitely, we cannot build a nation in three years. This government is three years old. By May 29 next year, we would have completed our four years.
“Even four years, even 10 years are not enough. Nation building is a continuous process. The most important thing is to start very well and continue to do things very well.”
On the motive behind terrorist attacks, the President said, “You can imagine if this government has not been facing these distractions within this period, definitely, we would have moved farther than this.
“All these distractions are planned to bring this government down and since they failed, terror will also fail.
“Terror will not stop this country from progressing. We know that these terrorists are human and they are evil men. Definitely, they are among those we categorise as evil forces.
“Forces of evil will never prevail. Forces of darkness will never prevail. I call on all Nigerians, Christians and non-Christians who pray, to continue to pray and I believe that God is on our side. Forces of evil and darkness will never prevail.”
Pastor Goodheart Ekwueme in his sermon taken from Esther 4:13-17 assured Nigerians that a new nation beckons.
He said the abduction and other violence being unleashed on the country by the Boko Haram sect were signs that Nigeria is facing challenges of evil forces.
Jonathan spoke at the 2014 Democracy Day Interdenominational Church Service with the theme “Love The Lord…and your Neighbour” held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.
“We have been witnessing terror attacks for two years plus, but the Chibok incident has added a major dent to the security of the country. There is nothing God cannot do. With your prayers, our girls will be seen by our security personnel,” he said.
The President who touched on several national issues during the remarks said the objective of those unleashing violence on the nation was to bring down his government.
He said despite their evil machinations however, the country would continue to move forward.
He also assured Nigerians that despite the security challenges in parts of the country, elections would hold next year as scheduled.
The President said one of the beauties of democracy which the nation has been practising for the past 15 years is that every public office holder knows the terminal date of his administration.
He said despite the problems associated with democracy, it remains the best form of government.
He however posited that four or even 10 years are not enough to develop a nation, adding that nation building is a continuous exercise.
He said the revamping of the rail sector, the privatisation of the power sector, the housing sector, industrial development, the remodeling of the nation’s airports and the reforms in the agricultural sector among others were clear signs that his transformation promises to Nigerians were not mere political promises.
While pointing to the successful hosting of the World Economic Forum for Africa, Jonathan said Nigeria under his watch would have gone farther but for the distractions being targeted at his government.
He recalled that some forces wanted to frustrate the event by detonating bombs in Nyanya, a satellite town of Abuja.
He reiterated his position that but for the prayers of Nigerians, the security challenges in the country would have been worse.
“After today, the next Democracy Day will witness a new government.
“I remember when I was in my village this morning to collect my permanent voters card and a pressman asked me whether there will be election in Nigeria and I told him there will be elections in the country.
“This country will continue to move in spite of some of the setbacks we are witnessing,” the President said.
Quoting from the Holy Bible, the President said nothing could separate Nigerians from the love of God because forces of retrogression had always remained part of human history.
“In human history, either individuals or societies, they are always confronted with two forces- the forces of development and forces of retrogression, sometimes they call them evil forces.
“Our country is facing the challenges of some of these forces, the evil forces. I really do not want to celebrate the evil forces because surely,mwe will go over it.
“You will agree with me that within these three years of this government, our agenda for transformation is coming out.
“We have not reached where we want to go but there are certain signs that people will use to know whether government is committed or is deceiving,” he added.
Jonathan said his government was working and would continue to work since the nation had not reached its destination.
On national development, he said, “Definitely, we cannot build a nation in three years. This government is three years old. By May 29 next year, we would have completed our four years.
“Even four years, even 10 years are not enough. Nation building is a continuous process. The most important thing is to start very well and continue to do things very well.”
On the motive behind terrorist attacks, the President said, “You can imagine if this government has not been facing these distractions within this period, definitely, we would have moved farther than this.
“All these distractions are planned to bring this government down and since they failed, terror will also fail.
“Terror will not stop this country from progressing. We know that these terrorists are human and they are evil men. Definitely, they are among those we categorise as evil forces.
“Forces of evil will never prevail. Forces of darkness will never prevail. I call on all Nigerians, Christians and non-Christians who pray, to continue to pray and I believe that God is on our side. Forces of evil and darkness will never prevail.”
Pastor Goodheart Ekwueme in his sermon taken from Esther 4:13-17 assured Nigerians that a new nation beckons.
Boko Haram targets village vigilantes, kills 30
Militants
in Nigeria have raided three villages and killed those they accused of
being anti-Boko Haram vigilantes, residents have told the BBC.
More than 30 people were killed in the attacks overnight into Friday in north-eastern Borno state, they said.
The raids took place as the UN Security Council approved sanctions against the Islamist group.
It is five weeks since Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls, prompting international outrage.
Nigerian officials say President Goodluck Jonathan is due to travel to South Africa for discussions with other African heads of state on combating terrorism in Africa following on from last weekend’s summit hosted by France.
Earlier his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, said African presidents should take responsibility for their failures and resolve their own conflicts together.
“I find that our leaders, who should have been working together all along to address these problems that only affect their countries, wait until they are invited to go to Europe. Why does anybody wait for that? What image does it even give about Africa?” he said.
Residents from two of the villages that came under attack said militants had arrived in a convoy and gathered the men of the community together.
They accused them of being members of vigilante groups and killed them all, one villager from Moforo in Marte district who escaped across the border to Cameroon told the BBC Hausa service.
They then burnt down all the shops in the market, leaving the villagers destitute, he said.
Correspondents say that most villages have formed vigilante groups to try to protect their communities from militant attacks.
A resident of Kimbi village in Biu district said the villagers contacted the security forces to alert them to their attack, but were told it was not an area under military control so they could not be helped.
The military has not commented on the allegation.
About 25 men were killed in Moforo, another eight men in Kimbi. It is not known if there were casualties from a raid early on Friday on Kabrihu village near the Sambisa forest.
The latest attacks came after another deadly village raid in Borno and twin bombings which killed 122 in the central city of Jos on Tuesday. The authorities also suspect Boko Haram of being behind those attacks, but there has so far been no claim of responsibility from the group.
Boko Haram was added to the UN Security Council’s al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee’s list of designated entities on Thursday at the request of Nigeria.
US envoy Samantha Power said it was an “important step” in support of efforts to “defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable”.
More than 30 people were killed in the attacks overnight into Friday in north-eastern Borno state, they said.
The raids took place as the UN Security Council approved sanctions against the Islamist group.
It is five weeks since Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls, prompting international outrage.
Nigerian officials say President Goodluck Jonathan is due to travel to South Africa for discussions with other African heads of state on combating terrorism in Africa following on from last weekend’s summit hosted by France.
Earlier his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, said African presidents should take responsibility for their failures and resolve their own conflicts together.
“I find that our leaders, who should have been working together all along to address these problems that only affect their countries, wait until they are invited to go to Europe. Why does anybody wait for that? What image does it even give about Africa?” he said.
Residents from two of the villages that came under attack said militants had arrived in a convoy and gathered the men of the community together.
They accused them of being members of vigilante groups and killed them all, one villager from Moforo in Marte district who escaped across the border to Cameroon told the BBC Hausa service.
They then burnt down all the shops in the market, leaving the villagers destitute, he said.
Correspondents say that most villages have formed vigilante groups to try to protect their communities from militant attacks.
A resident of Kimbi village in Biu district said the villagers contacted the security forces to alert them to their attack, but were told it was not an area under military control so they could not be helped.
The military has not commented on the allegation.
About 25 men were killed in Moforo, another eight men in Kimbi. It is not known if there were casualties from a raid early on Friday on Kabrihu village near the Sambisa forest.
The latest attacks came after another deadly village raid in Borno and twin bombings which killed 122 in the central city of Jos on Tuesday. The authorities also suspect Boko Haram of being behind those attacks, but there has so far been no claim of responsibility from the group.
Boko Haram was added to the UN Security Council’s al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee’s list of designated entities on Thursday at the request of Nigeria.
US envoy Samantha Power said it was an “important step” in support of efforts to “defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable”.
Corruption stalls Nigeria’s war against B’Haram –US
United States Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall
The
United States Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy
and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, has said that corruption is hindering
Nigeria’s efforts at ending insurgency in the North-East.
Sewall, who appeared before a hearing of
the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, alongside a Pentagon
top Africa official, Amanda Dory, added that the military must overcome
entrenched corruption and incompetence for it to rescue the over 200
schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram on April 14.
She said that despite Nigeria’s $5.8bn
security budget for 2014, “corruption prevents supplies as basic as
bullets and transport vehicles from reaching the front lines of the
struggle against Boko Haram.”
Sewall, according to the New York Times,
also told the committee that morale was low and that desertions were
common among soldiers in the 7th Army Division fighting the insurgents.
She sidestepped a question from one
lawmaker asking for an update on the abducted girls’ location and
welfare, saying, “Given time, I am hopeful that we will make progress.”
Sewall had on May 13 clarified the level
of involvement of US personnel in the rescue of the abducted girls,
saying it would not be combative.
She told select journalists in Abuja
that it was up to Nigeria to accept or reject the prisoners exchange
offer made by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
In her testimony, Dory said that Pentagon believed that the girls might have been dispersed into multiple smaller groups.
“They may or may not all be in Nigeria,”
she added, stressing that Nigerian military’s heavy-handed tactics with
Boko Haram risked “further harming and alienating local populations.”
Members of the Committee had disclosed that Boko Haram insurgents were trained by al-Qaeda.
The Chairman of the Committee, Ed Royce,
said being trained by the global terrorist sect meant greater terror for
Nigerians, and greater challenges for the security forces.
The committee’s hearing on the menace of
insurgents was tagged: “Boko Haram – The Growing Threat To Schoolgirls,
Nigeria And Beyond.”
The US had earlier said that Boko Haram
was not a branch of the global terrorist organisation, al Qaeda and it
should be treated as “its own terrorist group.”
President Goodluck Jonathan had during a
security summit hosted by French President Francois Hollande in Paris on
Saturday described the Boko Haram, as the “al Qaeda of West Africa.”
Washington had on Wednesday said that 80
US troops were currently in Chad to support the growing
international effort to rescue the abducted schoolgirls.
The military personnel are not ground
troops. They are mostly Air Force crew members, maintenance specialists
and security officers for unarmed Predator surveillance drones .
“These personnel will support the
operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for
missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area,” the White
House said in a statement formally notifying the US Congress about the
deployment.
The Human Rights Watch had after the
allegation by Sewall advised the Federal Government to consider
investigating the source of funding for Boko Haram.
The body, at a news conference by its
European Media Director, Mr. Andrew Stroehlein, in Lagos, said this
would go a long way in winning the war against insurgents.
Recalling that the US had hinted of the
possibility of Boko Haram getting its funding from al- Queda, it stated
that the coming together of the world powers to confront Boko Haram
should have happened earlier than now.
The HRW’s Nigerian Researcher, Mrs. Mausi
Segun, also advised the Federal Government to demilitarise security
around schools in the North.
Segun warned that positioning military
and police forces around schools would be a counterproductive response
to terrorist attacks.
She argued that the tendency was high that their presence around schools would attract insurgents.
Segun said rather than being positioned
directly near schools, the security forces should be at places where
rapid response could be made when attacks are launched.
Another approach, according to her, is
formulation of an early warning system that would allow for quick
evacuation of students from schools marked for attacks.
Meanwhile, members of the House of
Representatives rose in unison on Thursday to condemn terrorism and that
Nigerians should see terrorists as “our common enemies.”
The lawmakers said terrorists were out to
destroy all the cherished values of the country, including respect for
human lives and property.
At a meeting in Abuja coordinated by the
Chairman, House Committee on Human Rights, Beni Lar, the lawmakers urged
support for soldiers fighting to stop insurgents.
Lar said, “As lawmakers, we came together to condemn terrorism and to see terrorists as enemies of Nigeria.
Terrorists want to take away our
democratic values and all the things we love to do as a country. As a
parliament, we have passed so many bills to protect the rights of
Nigerians and to build a free society.
“Terrorists want to destroy all of this and we must condemn them.”
Lar also said the meeting strongly condemned the abduction of girls in Chibok.
“The key message here is release our girls now”, she added.
The Chairman, House Committee on
Aviation, Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha; the Chairman, House Committee on
Foreign Affairs, Nnena Ukeje; and the Deputy Chairman, House Committee
on Diaspora, Mrs. Betty Apiafi, were among lawmakers at the gathering.
At the meeting, the National Human Rights
Commission called on the Federal Government to speedily investigate and
prosecute all terror suspects in the country.
The Executive Secretary of the
commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, who made the call, advised the government
to apply state-of-the-art intelligence gathering equipment in combating
terrorism.
Angwe was represented by a director at the commission, Oti Ovrewah.
However, in combating terrorism, the commission cautioned the government against abuse of human rights.
It suggested that the law must be followed through in combating insurgents.
The NHRC said, “The temptation for the
government, including National Assembly at this critical period in the
country, may be to return fire for fire, setting aside the legal
safeguards in a democratic setting.
“While the government has the right and
the obligation to unleash its full arsenal to combat the evil scourge of
terrorism and other security challenges, it must not employ arbitrary
and indiscriminate measures which not only determine the fundamental
values it seeks to protect, but also result in falling into the trap set
by terrorists and their promoters.
“In the present situation where we find
ourselves, respect for human rights is much more important and greater
vigilance becomes absolutely necessary.
“Government at all levels and all organs
including the National Assembly, must intensify efforts to counter the
narratives of the terrorists.
“The National Assembly, in particular,
must be committed to its constitutional obligation of promoting good
governance, inclusiveness and social harmony in the country.”
PHOTO: Abandoned Car Causes Bomb Scare In Abuja, People Run Helter Skelter for Safety
The incident, which occurred at about 1.00pm at the popular El- Rufai Bus Stop, near a crowded village market, also forced parents to rush to fetch their wards from schools, in turn leading both private and public school to close abruptly.
SaharaReporters gathered that a Volkswagen Gulf car had been sighted parked near the bus stop for a very long period of time with gas cylinders in it, without anybody claiming ownership of the vehicle
leading to public suspicion. A resident who pleaded anonymity told journalists that people soon started running helter-skelter in the belief the car contained a bomb that might go off at any time.
He said the tension was aggravated when some policemen who came to check the car left without any word on its status, and soon, all roads to the scene were closed as panic set in.
When SaharaReporters visited Agabi Godiri, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Zonal Command Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force Phase 4, he said he received a call that a car which contained gas cylinders was parked near the El-Rufai Bus Stop near the market.
He said he drove to the place himself and upon seeing the vehicle, quickly called EOD (Anti-Bomb Disposal).
“So it was not a bomb, it was just rumor and we commend people for being vigilant,” Mr. Godiri said, calling on the public to remain calm and to discountenance the hoax.
As of the time of filling this report, the car was still in the police station, but the DPO promised to release it to its owner as soon as he obtained a directive to that effect.
Boko Haram kills 29 in Borno
Boko Haram members
Nigerians have fled into Cameroon as Boko Haram attacked another Borno village, killing 29 persons.
It will be recalled that about two weeks
ago the outlawed sect attacked Gamboru Ngala, a border town with
Cameroon, killing about 300 persons and destroying million of Naira
worth of property.
It was gathered that some suspected members of the Boko Haram sect, laid ambush on the village on Wednesday morning.
The attack, according to a resident,
Mallam Bakura Mustapha, occurred barely 10 days after the withdrawal of
troops from the village.
Sources said the gunmen drove into the
village in 15 vehicles and several motorcycles and were armed with AK47
rifles, Improvised Explosive Devices and petrol bombs.
It was gathered that they stormed the
village at about 11am on Wednesday and opened fire on armless residents
killing 29 people and burnt many buildings.
Another source said, apart from those
killed, there were several injuries sustained and many residents of the
village who sustained gunshot wounds “are now receiving treatment at one
of a hospital in Cameroon Republic.”
Efforts to get the Police Public
Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, to comment on the attack failed,
but a top security source who is not authorised to speak to the press,
confirmed the incident.
Direct your protest to Chibok girls abductors -Jonathan
President
Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday urged those who have been protesting the
abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State to
henceforth direct their protests to terrorists and not the government.He also urged them to learn from citizens of other countries who do not blame their governments for any terrorist acts in their nations.
The president also admitted publicly for the first time that his administration was currently consulting with some stakeholders with a view to exploring what he called alternative methods of resolving the present crisis.
Jonathan made the disclosure in speech delivered on his behalf by the Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide, to a team of #BringBackOurGirls campaigners led by a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili.
The protesters who earlier planned to take their protest to the Presidential Villa where they wanted Jonathan to address them were restricted to the Federal Secretariat within the Three Arms Zone, a few metres away from the Villa gate by security agencies.
Those who joined Akinjide in the delegation that represented Jonathan at the rally included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim; Minister of FCT, Bala Mohammed; Minister of Information, Labaran Maku; Minister of Women Affairs, Zaynab Maina; and Minister of Environment, Lawrencia Laraba.
Others were the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, Sarah Jubiril; Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati and Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, among others.
Jonathan, in the speech, made spirited efforts to convince the protesters that contrary to their belief, his administration was working hard in conjunction with the international community to rescue the abducted girls and end terrorism.
He said it was wrong and unfair to say that there was a slow response to the abduction.
He said, “It is wrong and most unfair to suggest that there was a slow reaction to this kidnapping. As Commander-in-Chief, Mr. President meets with the security chiefs almost daily and he is on constant consultation with regional and global partners on this terrorists’ threat.
“That is why I want to appeal to your group and to others through this medium that it is important that genuine patriotic zeal is matched with the realistic understanding of the situation in expressing concern and sentiment on this matter and other matters of terrorism.
“As early as January 23, 2013, Mr. President at Davos, Switzerland asked the world for help in tackling terrorism. He later met with President Obama during the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September 2013 where he also requested for the support of the United States of America.
“Government believes that we must all come together to fight terrorism and that protest should be directed at the terrorists who have abducted our innocent daughters and deprive them of a place at the fountain of freedom in our country.
“Our security forces are among the best trained in Africa, they are making so much sacrifices in the fight against terror. As we sleep daily, they are on the field confronting the enemy. They need our support, not attack and discouragement. They are also losing their lives.
“When terrorists see Nigerians turn on each other in blame, it gives them a huge moral boost. We must never lose sight of the fact that the terrorists are the real enemies.”
Jonathan warned the protesters and Nigerians against politicising the anti-terrorism campaign, saying nationals of other countries do not behave that way.
“We must be careful not to politicise the campaign against terrorism. When a bomb goes off in Kabul, Afghanistan, the people of Afghanistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.
“When a bomb goes off in Baghdad, Iraq, the people of Iraq do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.
“When a bomb goes off in Islamabad, Pakistan, the people of Pakistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.
“When a bomb goes off in Nigeria, we must all unite to fight the terrorists. This is the task of this generation.
“Our daughters must be freed to come home to their parents and loved ones. Our daughters must be freed so that they can return to schools to receive their education.
“Our daughters must be freed so that they can return home to be with their friends and play like all children their age do.
“All Nigerians must unite against terror, whether we be male or female, old or young, North or South, irrespective of political or religious affiliation. This is our fight, we must unite. The Federal Government is united with the people of Nigeria in this fight,” he added.
The President reeled out the various steps his administration had taken to rescue the abducted girls.
These, according to him included military and diplomatic efforts.
Beyond that, he said he had started consultation for alternative methods of resolving the impasse.
He added, “Government has mobilised all resources, military and diplomatic, in the search for our girls who have suffered so much trauma in captivity by agents of terror.
“From the very first day this kidnapping occurred, the Federal Government took action, directing our security services to go after the abductors.
“The search for our daughters has now assumed regional and global proportions and our nation has received strong supports from our neighbouring countries and the international community, including the United States, China, Africa, the United Kingdom and the entire African continent.
“The security forces have also reached out to the Borno State Government and community members for support and collaboration to bring back our innocent daughters. So far, the campaign to bring our daughters back home is on and is receiving global support.
“Nigeria in collaboration with Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin Republic have all agreed to establish a single centre for sharing intelligence on the activities of terrorists across our national boundary.
“Apart from those efforts on the public space, we have initiated consultations with so many stakeholders to explore alternative methods of resolving this crisis.”
The President urged civil society groups to use their influence to encourage Nigerians to provide useful information to the security services, using the emergency number 112, saying citizens must protect citizens if their civilisation is to endure.
He however appreciated the support and efforts of the group and others across the worldwide against the kidnap and senseless mayhem.
He described the act as very painful, adding that the world is under the grip of terrorism.
#BringBackOurGirls : I am not slow – GEJ
He stated this while addressing the protesters from #Bring Back Our Girls campaign group in Abuja.
He said he is not slow in acting because he is on constant discussions with security chiefs almost daily and is in constant consultations with regional and global partners on the terrorist threats.
He also said that the federal government took action from the first day the girls were abducted, and directed the security services to go after the abductors, noting that the search for the girls had now assumed regional and global proportion and that Nigeria had received strong support from neighbouring countries and international communities, including the United States, China, the United Kingdom and the entire African continent.
‘‘It is wrong and most unfair to suggest that there has been slow reaction to this kidnapping. From the very first day this occurred, the federal government took action directed our security services to go after the abductors.
The search for our daughters has now assumed regional and global proportion and our nation has received strong support from neighbouring countries and international communities, including the united states, china , Africa, the united kingdom and the entire African continent.’’
‘‘That is why I want to appeal to your group that it is important that your genuine patriotic zeal is matched with the realistic understanding of the situation in expressing concern and sentiment on this matter and other matters of terrorism. We are working hard with other nations in order to secure the release of the girls as soon as possible.’’
The President was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT and State, Senator Bala Muhammed and Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister of Environment, Mrs. Lawrencia Laraba-Mallam, Minister of Niger-Delta, Mr. Darius Ishaku,Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, Senior Assistant to the President on media, Dr. Rueben Abati and the Senior Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Dorun Okukpe among others.
118 People Killed In Jos Bombing – NEMA
At least 118 people were killed in a car bomb attack in the central Nigerian city of Jos, the country’s relief agency said on Tuesday, warning that the death toll could rise further.
“The exact figure of the dead bodies recovered as of now is 118,” Mohammed Abdulsalam, coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the city, told AFP.
He added that “more bodies may be in the debris” of buildings which collapsed due to the intensity of the blasts.
2 anti-terror Israeli experts arrive Nigeria in hunt for missing schoolgirls
“There are in Nigeria two advisers who have dealt in terrorist matters in the past,” he told AFP. “They were sent there by the state to help.”
The pair were not currently serving as intelligence personnel for the Israeli government.
“They are not soldiers, not officers. They are not part of the security system,” the source added.
On May 11, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan with an offer to help search for more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram.
“We are prepared to help in locating the girls and to fight the cruel terror which has struck you,” Netanyahu’s office quoted him as telling the president.
Jonathan accepted immediately.
“President Jonathan welcomed the offer by Mr Netanyahu to send a team of Israeli counter-terrorism experts to assist in the ongoing search and rescue operations,” the Nigerian leader’s office said.
Specialist teams from the United States, Britain, and France have been sent to help in the search operation, which Nigeria’s military has said is concentrated on the Sambisa forest area of Borno state.
Boko Haram, whose name is loosely translated as “Western education is forbidden”, kidnapped the girls from their dormitory on April 14, and has threatened to sell them.
Source: AFP
Boko Haram Kidnap Nigeria Police Officers In Borno State
Boko Haram terrorists are getting out of control. During the weekend, raged in Borno State where 16 persons were feared killed in a fresh attack.
In two separate attacks, five policemen were
reportedly abducted with their Armoured Personnel Carrier while a Chinese was killed and 10 others kidnapped during an overnight attack in Kuseri Village between Gamboru Ngala council of Borno State and the Cameroun border.
“Five policemen attached to Banki, a border town with Bama and Cameroon Republic, were attacked by Boko Haram. The terrorists opened fire on the APC No: NPF4960c
conveying the policemen led by an inspector and five others. The policemen quickly
dropped from the APC and ran into the bush before the terrorists went away with the abandoned APC.
As I am talking to you now (yesterday), the whereabouts of the policemen are yet to be known and we suspect the terrorists might have kidnapped or killed them.” A source said the tension in there is high.
The attacks put President Goodluck Jonathan and his counterparts from Nigeria’s neighbouring countries meeting in Paris, France, on Saturday under pressure to come up with concrete steps to address terrorism
in the sub region.
The missing/abducted policemen were identified by sources as Inspector Luka Maina, Sergeant Manya Chaka, Corporals Hassan Dauda, Emmanuel Onoche and Umar Ali.
The Borno Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tanko Lawan, confirmed the abduction of the five policemen and the seizing of the Armourd Personnel Carrier (APC).
“The Boko Haram militants were heavily armed, they came in five vehicles”, an official in Waza, a town near the site of the attack, said on condition of anonymity.
Boko Haram Writes School, Threatens To Kidnap Male Students
Ugudu, who announced this at a news conference in Makurdi on Saturday, added that the school received two letters which had the same content on 14 May.
“It is true that we saw two letters informing us of the intention of the sect to invade our school on Friday or Monday by Boko Haram.
“The letters were dated May 14, 2014, stating that they were coming either of the two days to abduct our boys whom they would marry to the secondary school girls abducted in Chibok.
“In the letter, we were asked to inform the Mount Saint Gabriel Secondary School opposite us to also get prepared as they promised to invade the place too.’’
According to him, “we immediately alerted the police and the Commissioner for Education. A report has been made to the Governor on the issue.
“The two letters, which were written in pidgin English, were sighted inside one of the classrooms and the second one was slipped into the staff room,” he said.
security operatives in the state for their prompt response to the issue. He said that everything had been done to ensure the safety of the school children, adding that he had informed the Principal of Mount Saint Gabriel.
NAN reports that about 500 out of about 700 students of the college are living in the school while Mount Saint Gabriel is purely boarding school.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Dan Ezeala, confirmed the report and assured that police were on top of the situation.
B’Haram kills 29 in Borno, kidnaps 10 in Cameroon
Boko Haram members
About
29 persons were killed in an attack on a market in Ngurosoye Village,
Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, residents of the area have
claimed.
It was gathered on Saturday that the
insurgents came in hundreds on motorcycles and six pick-up vans and shot
indiscriminately. They also shot a rocket-propelled grenade at the
market, which killed some traders.
A security source, who spoke to
journalists on condition of anonymity, said 29 lifeless bodies were
counted moments after the attack, which also caused injuries to several
other people.
He said, “The attacks by the insurgents
on the state, rather than decreasing, is seriously increasing and the
killings these days are in greater number. I think it is time the
government allowed us to cordon this Sambisa and destroy all these evil
people.”
It was the third time insurgents would attack the market since 2009.
Ngurosoye Village is about 56 kilometres
from Maiduguri, the state capital, which is also a gateway to the
dreaded Sambisa forests.
The insurgents were said to have carried
out repeated attacks on the village since the youths in the area took up
arms against them by joining the vigilance group, codenamed Civilian
Joint Task Force, in the hunt for Boko Haram members.
A resident of Bama town, who spoke
anonymously with journalists, said the people had heard rumours of
possible attacks on the area by the insurgents about two weeks ago.
Attempts made to get the Borno State
Commissioner of Police, Lawal Tanko, and the spokesman of the 7
Division, Nigerian Army, Col. Muhammad Dole, yielded no results as of
the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, suspected Boko Haram rebels on
Friday attacked a Chinese work site in northern Cameroon and kidnapped
at least 10 workers.
The Governor of Far North Region, Cameroon, Augustine Fonka Awa, confirmed this on Saturday.
The Chinese Embassy in Yaounde also
confirmed the attack at a site near Waza, 12 miles from the Nigerian
border close to Sambisa forest, a Boko Haram stronghold.
Our correspondent learnt that the
attackers also destroyed a bridge linking the various villages in the
area, where the Chinese construction workers were working.
International news agency, Reuters,
reported that the Friday’s attack in Cameroon began when power was cut
in the evening. A five-hour gunfight followed, a guard at the Waza
National Park told the agency.
Awa said he believed Boko Haram carried
out the attack. He added that authorities were investigating reports
that at least one Cameroon soldier was killed and 10 people were
abducted.
The Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, quoted Chinese officials as saying one person was injured.
The Chinese embassy had suspended visits to the area.
Boko Haram writes school, plots fresh abductions
Members of the boko haram sect
-We need schoolboys to wed Chibok girls–Sect
Thirty-four days after the
fundamentalist Islamic sect, Boko Haram, abducted over 200 schoolgirls
from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, it has threatened
to kidnap more pupils.
The United States
of America, France,
Britain, Israel and Canada are among the foreign countries that have
pledged to help Nigeria find the schoolgirls that were kidnapped by Boko
Haram on April 14.
The pupils were kidnapped in the night
and their hostels were burnt. However, while Boko Haram transported them
in trucks to its Sambisa Forest stronghold, over 50 of the schoolgirls
escaped from the sect.
There have been reports that some of the
girls have been seen being moved out of Nigeria. Other reports have
said the girls were seen in the northern parts of the Central African
Republic where an Islamic militia, Seleka, holds sway.
Last week, the leader of the sect,
Abubakar Shekau, in a video asked for the release of Boko Haram
detainees in exchange for the pupils. The Federal Government turned down
the request.
On Saturday, the Principal of Government
College, Makurdi, Mr. Godfrey Ugudu, revealed that the school had
received letters from Boko Haram threatening to attack the school.
The News Agency of Nigeria
reports that Ugudu, who announced this at a news conference in Makurdi,
added that the school received two letters which had the same content on
May 14.
“It is true that we saw two letters
informing us of the intention of the sect to invade our school on Friday
or Monday by Boko Haram.
“The letters were dated May 14, 2014.
The sect stated that they were coming on either of the two days to
abduct our boys whom they would marry to the secondary school girls
abducted in Chibok.”
The school principal added that in the letter, Boko Haram also threatened to arrest another nearby school.
“In the letter, we were asked to inform
the Mount Saint Gabriel Secondary School opposite us to also get
prepared as they promised to invade the school too.
“We immediately alerted the police and the commissioner for education. A report has been made to the governor on the issue.
“The two letters, which were written in
pidgin English, were sighted inside one of the classrooms and the second
one was slipped into the staff room,” he said.
The principal commended the government and security operatives in the state for their prompt response to the issue.
He said measures had been put in place
to ensure the safety of the school children, adding that he had informed
the Principal of Mount Saint Gabriel.
NAN reports that about 500 out
of about 700 students of the college are living in the school while
Mount Saint Gabriel is purely a boarding school.
The Police Public Relations Officer in
the state, Dan Ezeala, confirmed the report adding that police were on
top of the situation.
When contacted the
Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, he asked our
correspondent to speak to the police and the school authorities.
“I think you should talk to the police
and the schools. The security agencies are in the states are supposed to
be operating,” he said.
The Force Public Relations Officer,
Frank Mba, could not be reached for comments as calls made to his phone
failed to connect. A text message sent to his phone was not responded to
as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the drones and other
surveillance aircraft deployed by the US government to search for the
over 200 abducted pupils have yet to locate them.
While promising to intensify efforts to find the schoolgirls, US Defence Secretary, Chuk Hagel, told the Cable Network News, that the pupils had not been seen.
“I have seen no intelligence come back
that I am aware of that shows that we’ve located those girls,” he
reportedly said on Wednesday.
This came amid reports that the US would not share intelligence data with Nigeria.
Pentagon spokesman, Col. Steve Warren,
was quoted to have said the US was disposed to sharing commercial
satellite imagery with Nigeria, but not raw military data.
“At this point, we are not sharing raw
intelligence data,” Warren said. He did not give reasons for this. But
the US is known not to share intelligence with governments its officials
adjudge to be careless with intelligence information.
Efforts to find out if there had been any new development did not yield results.
The Public Affairs Officer of the US
Embassy, Sani Mohammed, on Friday asked our correspondent to send his
question via email, but as of the time this report was filed, he had yet
to reply to the mail.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National
Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, has told one of our correspondents
that Nigeria will adopt “global best practices” to ensure that the
Chibok girls were freed.
Omeri stated this in a telephone interview while responding to an enquiry.
He was asked whether or not the
government had changed its position that it would not exchange the girls
for the detained Boko Haram members.
The NIC chairman said, “All options are
on the table. Nigeria will adopt international best practices to ensure
the girls are free.
“The government of Nigeria is going to explore all options to secure the release of the abducted girls.”
Nigerian soldiers reluctant to fight – US General
The United States has said that the Nigerian military is becoming afraid of engaging the Boko Haram insurgents.
Testifying on Thursday before the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, the US Air Force Chief of staff, Gen. Mark
Welsh III, said, “We’re now looking at a military force that is, quite
frankly, becoming afraid to even engage. The United States doesn’t have
the capacity, the capability to go rescue every kidnapped person around
the world.”
The New York Times reported
that the US might choose to minimise its involvement in the search for
the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram due to doubts over
Nigeria’s military capabilities.
We learnt that the US had questioned the ability of the Nigerian military to rescue the girls even with international help.
The Pentagon’s Principal Director for
African Affairs, Alice Friend, also said, “The Nigerian military has the
same challenges with corruption that every other institution in Nigeria
does. Much of the funding that goes to the Nigerian military is skimmed
off the top, if you will.”
US officials have also said that its
involvement had also been made difficult because Nigerian officials
ignored past warnings to soften brutal tactics that only fuelled the
Boko Haram’s insurgency.
At Thursday’s Senate Foreign Relations
Committee hearing, officials condemned the kidnappings and committed
American aid to help rescue the girls. But they also expressed
frustration at Nigeria’s political and military leaders for failing to
heed Washington’s warnings about the extremist group.
“We have been urging Nigeria to reform
its approach to Boko Haram,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for African Affairs, Robert Jackson, said.
He added, “From our own difficult
experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, we know that turning the tide of an
insurgency requires more than force. The state must demonstrate to its
citizens that it can protect them and offer them opportunity. When
soldiers destroy towns, kill civilians and detain innocent people with
impunity, mistrust takes root.”
A retired Head of the US military’s
Africa Command, Gen. Carter Ham, said, “My sense is that US Government
will remain in a supporting role to Nigeria. I do not think the U.S.G.
will seek unilateral action.”
The size of the Sambisa Forest is also believed to make the search for the girls difficult.
“We are basically searching for these
girls in an area that’s roughly the size of West Virginia, so it’s a
tough challenge, to be sure,” state Department spokesman, Marie Harf,
said on Thursday.
Ekiti: NULGE pledges support for Labour Party
Nigerian
Union of Local Government Employees has promised support for the Labour
party and its candidate in the next governorship election in Ekiti
state, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, even as it described the Ondo State
Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko’s government as being friendly to workers.
President of the group, Mr. Ibrahim
Khalid, made the declaration on Friday during a visit to the governor in
company of his fellow NULGE executives.
The union executives said they were
satisfied with how the governor had invested in the welfare of workers
in the state. They said they were happy with the governor for pardoning
indicted members of NULGE in the recent workers screening exercise
carried out in the state.
Over 4,000 members of the union initially indicted in the screening exercise were pardoned by the administration.
The NULGE boss noted that the state
government had touched the lives of the entire people of the state
through its numerous laudable people-oriented programmes and reiterated
the commitment of the union to support the Labour Party in any state of
the federation.
According to the group, solidarity
support would be showered on the Ekiti State chapter of the party and
its candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
Reacting during the visit, Mimiko
thanked the leadership of the union and expressed his administration’s
irrevocable commitment to the welfare of workers in the state.
He called for mutual understanding
between the Ondo State chapter of the union and the local government
service commission in order to ensure effective administration and
result-oriented local government service.
Appreciating the willingness of the
union to offer support for Labour Party in the country, Mimiko said, “I
must tell you that workers are very crucial instruments in the
development of our nation and even in the area of wealth creation. It is
a philosophical position that is well grounded. We are committed to
workers’ welfare and we’ll continue to create synergy between government
and workers so as to better the lives of the people.”
Jonathan bashed for aborting Chibok visit
‘That visit had to be called off because of the serious security implications, and the visit was publicised’
President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday
was bashed for cancelling his planned trip to Chibok, where over 200
girls were abducted on April 14, because of the dicey security situation
in Borno State.The Northern Elders ’Forum and leading
legal activists in the country have criticised the President for
cancelling the visit, saying the development was ‘completely
embarrassing’ as it portrayed Jonathan as a ‘push around’ leader.
We gathered on
Friday that while the President was bent on making the journey, his
security managers believed it was not safe to do so following the
widespread publicity given to the visit.
It was learnt that senior officials of the nation’s security outfits persuaded the President to shun the planned visit.
A security source said the mutiny by
some soldiers of the 101 Battalion, who attacked the General Officer
Commanding, Maj.-Gen. Abubakar Mohammed on Tuesday also heightened fears
ahead of the visit.
The source said it would be ridiculous
for the security handlers to expose the President without first
addressing any issue of suspected disenchantment among troops in the
area.
It was further gathered that the
military and other security agencies were taking painstaking steps at
protecting the President from being harmed, a situation that could
plunge the country into crisis.
The source said, “That visit had to be
called off because of the serious security implications. Yes there are
security issues because the visit was publicized.
“The story is everywhere, in a situation like this; you don’t announce when he is visiting, you issue a statement of the visit.
“You talk of visits by the United States President Obama to places; let me tell you that the situation is not the same here.
“You know, the kind of insurgency we are dealing with, you don’t take anything to chance.
“Do you know what would happen to this
country if anything goes wrong there? We don’t want the threat of a
civil war on our hands, “the source said.
The decision to shun the visit, our correspondent learnt, was taken in the early hours of Friday.
Security operatives had earlier been
deployed in the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International
Airport, Abuja, early in the morning in preparation for the visit.
After the security agents were informed
of the cancellation of the visit, they were, however, asked to stay back
at the airport in preparation for the President’s departure for Paris,
France, scheduled for 1.0pm.
He is scheduled to meet with his
counterparts from Benin Republic, Chad, Niger and Cameroon in Paris and
he is billed to return to the country on Saturday.
Members of the President’s advance team,
who left Abuja for Borno on Thursday, were already on ground in the
state before the visit was aborted.
Our correspondent learnt that local and
foreign journalists were already on ground waiting for Jonathan’s
arrival before the decision to abort the trip was taken.
While reacting to the cancellation of
the visit, the Deputy Chairman of the Northerners Elders’ Forum, Paul
Unongo, said the cancellation was a sign that the President could not
take decisions on his own.
He, therefore, advised the President to think through on the matter and stop portraying the country in bad image.
Unongo said, “Well, I don’t know how the
President handles his things and I don’t know why his advisers always
try to portray him as somebody they are pushing around. He doesn’t think
on projects before embarking upon them.
“As the President, he is supposed to
take upon himself the responsibility of handling things well before
doing them. He should have thought of everything before making the
announcement. It is very bad for the image of the President as well as
the image of the country.”
He added that the cancellation of the visit showed that the President’s advisers were inefficient in their duties.
Unongo said, “It is bad for the people
who handle the itinerary of the President and arrange things for him. I
am concerned about the handling of this issue. He should be able to
think through before making decisions and announcements to the public.”
Lagos-based lawyer and human rights
activist, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, described the cancellation of the visit as
embarrassing and scary.
Aturu said, “The President of Nigeria is
not just a political leader, he is also the cultural leader, whose
presence in a place like Chibok would instill hope in the people.
“If the President is just thinking about
visiting Chibok one month after the abduction, that itself is
embarrassing. If he cannot go to such a small village, why should
anybody stay there?
“I am beginning to see that President
Goodluck Jonathan has a complete misunderstanding of what the role of
President should be. The media has visited that community, why is the
President afraid of going there?”
Speaking about the possibility that the
failure of the President to visit Chibok was fallout of the ‘cold war’
between Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima and the President, Aturu
said, “that would have been very petty if it is so.”
He said, “Shettima is not from Chibok
and neither is his child among those abducted. There is simply no word
to justify or explain the failure of the President to visit the
community.”
Another Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Malachy
Ugwummadu, said cancelling a long-overdue visit to Chibok “exposes the
hopelessness of the situation.”
He said, “If a man who has all the
apparatus of the armed forces at his disposal is afraid of visiting a
place like Chibok as a result of security concern, how about the people
living there?
“It is just unfortunate that the
President is not just overwhelmed, he is completely scared about the
situation. One day after the attack at Nyanya, the President threw
caution to the wind and visited Kano State for a political event. It
simply shows the hopelessness of the administration’s fight against
insurgency.”
Ugwummadu stated that it would have been
better to tell the parents that their children were dead rather than
knowing that they were held captive by a particular individual, who
might be subjecting them to excruciating sexual slavery.
He condemned the rhetorics that have been going on back and forth between President Jonathan and Shettima.
Meanwhile, the Presidency on Friday said Jonathan was never scheduled to visit Chibok as widely reported.
The Special Adviser to the President on
Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, made the clarification in a
telephone interview with our correspondent.
Abati said every movement of the
President was documented and that in this case, there was no record
indicating that Jonathan would visit Chibok.
He added that his office always issue
press statements when the President was travelling and the only one he
issued on Thursday was that of Jonathan’s trip to France.
When confronted that his office only
issues statements on the President’s foreign trips, Abati said any visit
to Chibok was an important one that would have attracted a formal
statement from his office.
He insisted that the trip was not on Jonathan’s schedule for the day.
He said, “Every movement of the
President is documented and backed by press statement. Chibok is very
important; such a trip would have been backed up by a press statement
from my office.
“We never announced Chibok trip. It was
not on the President’s schedule. All the reports about the so-called
trip quoted some unnamed government officials. Let the journalists
identify the officials.”
Shortly before the interview, Abati had
claimed on his Twitter handle that reports of the President’s planned
visit to Chibok were mere rumours.
He said it was wrong and malicious to allege that a “non-existent trip has been cancelled.”
The presidential spokesman wrote, “Every
trip by the President is usually pre-announced. The Presidency did not
at any time announce a trip to Chibok today (Friday). Ignore rumours.
“The statement issued by my office
yesterday (Thursday) indicated very clearly that the President is
scheduled to travel to Paris today (Friday).
“It is therefore wrong and malicious to allege that a non-existent trip has been cancelled.”
Jonathan, according to military sources,
was earlier expected to visit the troubled town to see for himself, the
carnage done by the insurgents and hear from eyewitnesses.
Members of his advance team, it was learnt, had left Abuja for Maiduguri on Thursday evening.
Also, human rights activist, Femi
Falana, said it was understandable if the visit was cancelled for
security reasons, considering Tuesday’s mutiny by some soldiers, which
was not envisaged by the President when he planned the visit.
“If the soldiers on ground could shot at
their commander, it means it is a serious matter. So the government
would need to ensure that the matter is sorted out before the President
could go there because it is an internal problem which is very serious. I
mean it is not a frivolous reason.
“To avoid such mutiny, the soldiers
should be treated with respect and dignity. If government tells us that
soldiers have died, don’t they have names, are they given decent
burials, are there entitlements paid to their families on time, are
those who are fighting the war well equipped and well motivated. These
are serious issues that are not being addressed,” Falana said.
An expert in constitutional law, Prof.
Itse Sagay, said it was obvious that the visit could have been cancelled
for security reasons, if it was not safe for the President to go.
“Chibok is about two to three hours
drive from Maiduguri and there is no airport there, which means he has
to go by road. The whole world, including Boko Haram, knows that the
President announced that he is going there.
“It is also possible that they might
have received information that his convoy could be ambushed. so I have
to, in good faith, think that he got such information. We should avoid a
situation where his life would be in danger, and then the whole country
would be mourning the President while mourning the absence of the
abducted girls.
“I don’t think it is because of the
mutiny, because the commander has been replaced and the people involved
have been arrested. His influence wouldn’t have affected the search for
the girls, it could ameliorate the feelings of the residents that the
President has come to visit them. It would have made them feel better.
It is a sentimental journey,” Sagay said.
The BBC reported that the cancellation of the visit underlined just how fragile the security situation is in the North-East.
President Jonathan has been criticised for not visiting the town – more than a month after the girls were seized.
The BBC further reported that
the Director for African Affairs at the United States Defence
Department, Alice Friend, said Nigeria’ security forces had been “slow
to adapt with new strategies and new tactics”.
She also said the US was unable to offer
aid to Nigeria’s military because of “troubling” atrocities perpetrated
by some units during operations against Boko Haram.
“We cannot ignore that Nigeria can be an extremely challenging partner to work with,” Ms Friend said.
In similar vein, the United States
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Robert Jackson,
said that Washington had been urging Nigeria to reform its approach to
Boko Haram.
Boko Haram: Military moves against sabotage, espionage
Boko Haram
Indications
have emerged that the authorities of the Nigerian military are
responding to the threat of sabotage and leakage of information to
insurgents in the North East, revealed that the military had assigned two major agencies, the Nigeria
Intelligence Agency and the Directorate of Military Intelligence to
monitor troop movements and telephone conversations especially in the
mission area.
A security source said on Thursday that
the military leadership had been discreetly investigating suspected
incidents of information leakage and inappropriate conduct during the
operation.
The source said, for instance, that the
Commander in charge of the vicinity around the Federal Government
College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State, a major, was facing a military court
martial in relation with the unfortunate slaughter of the students of
the school by the insurgents.
The source explained that the military
had ensured that fundamentalists and troops with extremist views were
not posted to the mission areas.
It was stated that background checks were always carried out on troops before being posted to the mission areas.
The source stated, “I can confirm to you
that two major agencies of government , the NIA and the Directorate of
Military Intelligence, are monitoring troop movements and phone calls.
“The authorities conduct background
checks on troops before posting, they don’t allow troops with
fundamentalist tendencies to be posted to such places.
“I can tell you also that all the calls
from Chad, Cameroon and Niger have been closely monitored. NIA has done
so much in arresting so many people.
The source explained that the efforts of
the NIA and the DMI and other agencies in tracking telephone calls and
other areas of intelligence facilitated the arrest of those who carried
out the twin bomb attack on Nyanya on April 14,2014 and May 1, 2015.
The source added that several soldiers
had been killed because of misleading information from politicians,
local communities and others with sympathy for the insurgents.
A security source said that the issue of
connivance and betrayal by troops with sympathy for insurgents was one
of the factors militating against the success of the operation.
It was gathered that soldiers were
becoming uncomfortable because of series of ambush made possible by such
elements, highly placed politicians and even the locals in the area who
are supposed to be the beneficiaries of their presence.
US begins flying missions to track abducted girls
The
United States has begun flying “manned” missions over Nigeria to track
down more than 200 abducted schoolgirls as experts pored over a new
video seeking clues to where they are being held, a report by AFP
said.The missions, which commenced on Monday, involve the use of
aircraft, including drones, to find the abducted teenage girls.“We have
shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying
manned ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets over
Nigeria with the government’s permission,” a senior administration
official told AFP, asking not to be named.
It was not immediately clear what kinds of aircraft were being deployed, nor where they had come from.
Also,
a new video released by the Boko Haram group purportedly showing about
130 of the girls was being carefully studied by American experts in the
hope it might yield vital clues as to where the girls are being held.
“Our
intelligence experts are combing through every detail of the video for
clues that might help ongoing efforts to secure the release of the
girls,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
“We have no reason to question its authenticity,” she added of the video.
Psaki
recalled that the US policy was also “to deny kidnappers the benefits
of their criminal acts, including ransoms or concessions.”
Abducted girls not in Cameroon – US envoy
The
Chargé d’Affaires in the Embassy of the United States of America to
Cameroon, Gregory D. Thome has ruled out the possibility of Boko Haram
hiding the abducted school girls anywhere in Cameroon.
The US envoy said this while addressing journalists in Yaounde, the
capital of Cameroon after holding a meeting with the Minister of
External Relations, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo.
One of the leading newspaper in Cameroon, Cameroon Tribune, posted this on its website on May 11.
According to the report, the US envoy was at the ministry to thank
Cameroon for the efforts to support in finding the adducted girls.
Thome said, “I conveyed to the Minister that President Barack Obama
is personally very interested and deeply offended by this terrible act
that Boko Haram had done.
“We discussed the fact that there is really no evidence that the girls are in Cameroon.”
He assured that the US Government and its counterpart in Cameroon would
collaborate in helping Nigeria come out of the throes of the Islamic
militant group.
Earlier, a former United Kingdom Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said
that the search for the abducted girls from Government Girls Secondary
School, Chibok, Borno State should be shifted to Nigeria’s neighboring
countries including Cameroon.
The former UK Prime Minister who is the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Global Education told the Cable News Network.
Brown said, “The search must be in Niger, Cameroon and Chad, to see if we can find information.
“It’s vital to use the information to find the girls before they are dispersed across Africa, which is a very real possibility.”
The Pentagon had on Friday said the girls had been split into groups
without giving out detail of how they arrived at the conclusion.
The Pentagon Press Secretary, US Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, expressed this.
Kirby said, “We do think they have been broken up into smaller groups.”
He declined to give the detail how US officials came to the conclusion
but this is a sentiment that has been echoed by a number of others, who
believe the girls already have been moved out of Nigeria and into
neighboring countries.
A group of girls believed to be some of the abducted girls from
Chibok were reportedly sighted being escorted by some gunmen in the war
torn Central Africa Republic last week.
However, the Boko Haram posted a video on the girls on Monday.
Obasanjo condemns schoolgirls’ abduction
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
on Monday condemned the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in Government
Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State.
Obasanjo made the condemnation during
the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Jigawa State Government
to adopt a junior secondary school and a primary school in Kudai, Dutse.
He appealed to the abductors to
release them without any condition because the girls were innocent and should
not be made to suffer unreasonably.
“Whatever the grievances, objectives
and anger of this group of people who are behind this abduction, they should
not have acted on these innocent girls.
“We condemn their action and also appeal to them to release these girls
unconditionally because they have important contributions for the future of
this country,” Obasanjo said.
The former president sympathised
with the parents of the girls but added that people should not be discouraged
to send their female children to school.
He said Nigerians should see what happened as a stumble and not a fall and be
challenged to give their girls good education.
Obasanjo prayed and expressed the
hope that the girls would be found and delivered to their parents.
He said that his visit to the state was to fulfil a promise he made during
Jigawa Economic Summit to adopt a school and transform it to a model on the
African continent.
Obasanjo said that the gesture was to complement
the efforts of Gov. Sule Lamido in promoting girl-child education in the state.
Lamido thanked Obasanjo for his support and cooperation for the development of
the state.
Boko Haram Releases New Video Showing Kidnapped Girls
Alive
A new video released by Islamist
militants Boko Haram claims to show around 100 girls kidnapped from a school in
Nigeria last month.
The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, said they would be held until all
imprisoned militants had been freed.
He said
the girls had converted to
Islam. The video, released on Monday, claims to show them praying.
Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls from northern Nigeria on 14 April and
threatened to sell them.
The BBC’s John Simpson in the
northern city of Maiduguri said Boko Haram’s comments showed signs that the
group was willing to negotiate.
Three of the girls are shown speaking in the 17-minute video, obtained by
French news agency
AFP, wearing the full-length hijab.
Three girls are shown speaking in
the 17-minute video and one says the group have not been harmed
Two girls say they were Christian and have converted to Islam, while the other
says she is Muslim.
“These girls, these girls you occupy
yourselves with… we have indeed liberated them. These girls have become
Muslims,” Abubakar Shekau says in the video.
It is thought the majority of the abducuted girls are Christians, although
there are a number of Muslims among them.
Correspondents said the girls appeared calm and one said that they had not been
harmed.
There is no indication of when or where the video was taken.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau uses
the video to call for imprisoned Boko Haram fighters to be freed
It is estimated to show about 130 girls – just under half of the 276 pupils
abducted from their school in the northern state of Borno.
Our correspondent says this could
mean the group has been split into smaller groups to help avoid detection.
Boko Haram had previously admitted to kidnapping the girls.
The group, whose name means “Western
education is forbidden,” said they should not have been at school and should
get married instead.
Boko Haram has been engaged in a violent campaign against the Nigerian
government since 2009.
Amosun names Ijebu Ode flyover after Awujale
Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun
The
Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has named the flyover at Ijebu Ode,
Ogun State after the Awujale and the paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba
Sikiru Adetona.
He made this announcement during the
monarch’s 80th birthday on Saturday held at Otunba Dipo Dina
International Stadium, Ijebu Ode,as part of the gesture to honour him.
Amosun described the monarch as a colossus who represents the best and finest of the traditional institution.
He said even generations yet unborn would meet the legacy of the Oba.
He said, “The Awujale is fearless and he
uses his wealth of experience to help the government. And to honour
him, we are naming the first flyover in Ijebuland after him and it is to
known as Oba Sikiru Adetona Flyover.”
Also the All Progressives Congress
leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), described Oba Adetona as a “leader
of great quality in person and character” while the Chairman, Peoples
Democratic Party, Adamu Mu’azu, saw him as a good leader and an epitome
of humility.
The Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr.
Seriake Dickson, who described himself as a ‘son of the soil’ with his
late great grandmother, Princess Adebukola Fidipote, being of Ijebu
extraction, lauded him for promoting peace in Ijebuland and the state in
general.
I have information on abducted girls – Shettima
The
governor of Nigeria’s Borno state says he has information on the
whereabouts of about 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist group Boko
Haram.
Governor Kashim Shettima said he had passed reports of the sightings of the girls to the military for verification.
Mr Shettima added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.
Earlier, France’s president offered to host a summit on Boko Haram.
“I suggested, with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a meeting of Nigeria’s neighbouring countries” Francois Hollande said.
“If the countries agree, it should take place next Saturday” he added.
Countries neighbouring Nigeria, such as Cameroon, Niger and Chad, would be invited to the security summit.
Aides said the US, UK and EU would also be likely to attend.
The US, UK and France have already pledged technical assistance to the Nigerian government.
Meanwhile, President Jonathan said an Israeli counter-terrorism team
would arrive in Nigeria to help in searching for the schoolgirls, who
were abducted last month.
French troops entered Mali last year to push out al-Qaeda affiliated militants.
Both the US and UK distanced themselves from suggestions that they
would send soldiers to take part in the military operation in the vast
north of Nigeria.
“There’s no intention at this point to be putting any American boots
on the ground” said US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on Sunday.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said it was unlikely Nigeria would
ask for British troops to help, but he added: “I said to President
Jonathan where we can help, please ask, and we will see what we can do.”
“I rang the Nigerian president to offer anything that would be
helpful and we agreed to send out a team that includes some
counter-terrorism and intelligence experts to work alongside the bigger
American team that’s going out there.”
Mr. Cameron later tweeted his support for a hash tag aimed at raising awareness of the abductions.
Borno govt. to rebuild shops destroyed by insurgents
Ngala (Borno) – The Borno Government
on Sunday said it planned to rebuild about 400 shops destroyed during last
Monday’s attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents at the Ngala Central Market.
Gov. Kashim Shettima made the
promise when he paid a sympathy visit to the market, which is located at the
headquarters of the Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of the state.
A LINK BRIDGE CONNECTING NIGERIA AND
THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON, DESTROYED BY SUSPECTED BOKO HARAM INSURGENTS DURING
THEIR ATTACK ON NGALA LAST MONDAY IN BORNO.
2947/11/5
He said government would also assist
the traders with some money to enable them go back to business.
Shettima said a committee had
already been set up to collate data on the number of persons affected by the
attack for assistance.
“My visit is to sympathise with you
over the sad incident. I want you to know that what happened to you affects all
the people of the state, as we are deeply touched by your predicament.
“Government will provide funds for
building a new market in place of the burnt structures.
“Government will also assist traders
who lost their shops with some cash to enable them to back to business,” the
governor said.
He said the money would be released
as soon as the committee submitted its report on the actual number of persons
affected by the attack.
Speaking earlier, Alhaji Bukar
Dallatu, Chairman of the market’s Caretaker Committee, told the governor that
about 300 vehicles including 17 heavy duty trailers were destroyed by the
attackers.
Dallatu appealed to the government
to assist the victims to enable them go back to business.
Also speaking, Malam Bukar Modu, an
eyewitness, told newsmen in Ngala that about 350 persons were killed during the
attack.
“The attackers came around 1.30 p.m.
on Monday, when most traders were preparing for the afternoon prayers.
“They arrived in a convoy of
military vehicles dressed in military uniform,’’ Modu said.
“Some traders began to suspect them,
but they could not do much. The invaders moved so fast and started shooting the
traders and looting their wares.
“Some of them began to throw fire
into the shops, thereby causing commotion.
“We began to run, but they were just
too strong. At the end, more than 300 persons were killed on that day, while
many were injured.
“We discovered many other bodies
under the rubbles of the destroyed market the following day, bringing the
number of those killed to about 350 persons.”
Modu, who said the situation had
created hardship for many of those who lost their means of livelihood, called
for help from the government.(NAN)
The
United States has begun flying “manned” missions over Nigeria to track
down more than 200 abducted schoolgirls as experts pored over a new
video seeking clues to where they are being held, a report by AFP
said.The missions, which commenced on Monday, involve the use of
aircraft, including drones, to find the abducted teenage girls.“We have
shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying
manned ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets over
Nigeria with the government’s permission,” a senior administration
official told AFP, asking not to be named.
It was not immediately clear what kinds of aircraft were being deployed, nor where they had come from.
Also, a new video released by the Boko Haram group purportedly showing about 130 of the girls was being carefully studied by American experts in the hope it might yield vital clues as to where the girls are being held.
“Our intelligence experts are combing through every detail of the video for clues that might help ongoing efforts to secure the release of the girls,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
“We have no reason to question its authenticity,” she added of the video.
Psaki recalled that the US policy was also “to deny kidnappers the benefits of their criminal acts, including ransoms or concessions.”
It was not immediately clear what kinds of aircraft were being deployed, nor where they had come from.
Also, a new video released by the Boko Haram group purportedly showing about 130 of the girls was being carefully studied by American experts in the hope it might yield vital clues as to where the girls are being held.
“Our intelligence experts are combing through every detail of the video for clues that might help ongoing efforts to secure the release of the girls,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
“We have no reason to question its authenticity,” she added of the video.
Psaki recalled that the US policy was also “to deny kidnappers the benefits of their criminal acts, including ransoms or concessions.”
Abducted girls not in Cameroon – US envoy
The Chargé d’Affaires in the Embassy of the United States of America to Cameroon, Gregory D. Thome has ruled out the possibility of Boko Haram hiding the abducted school girls anywhere in Cameroon.
The US envoy said this while addressing journalists in Yaounde, the
capital of Cameroon after holding a meeting with the Minister of
External Relations, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo.
One of the leading newspaper in Cameroon, Cameroon Tribune, posted this on its website on May 11.
According to the report, the US envoy was at the ministry to thank Cameroon for the efforts to support in finding the adducted girls.
Thome said, “I conveyed to the Minister that President Barack Obama is personally very interested and deeply offended by this terrible act that Boko Haram had done.
“We discussed the fact that there is really no evidence that the girls are in Cameroon.”
He assured that the US Government and its counterpart in Cameroon would collaborate in helping Nigeria come out of the throes of the Islamic militant group.
Earlier, a former United Kingdom Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said that the search for the abducted girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State should be shifted to Nigeria’s neighboring countries including Cameroon.
The former UK Prime Minister who is the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Global Education told the Cable News Network.
Brown said, “The search must be in Niger, Cameroon and Chad, to see if we can find information.
“It’s vital to use the information to find the girls before they are dispersed across Africa, which is a very real possibility.”
The Pentagon had on Friday said the girls had been split into groups without giving out detail of how they arrived at the conclusion.
The Pentagon Press Secretary, US Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, expressed this.
Kirby said, “We do think they have been broken up into smaller groups.”
He declined to give the detail how US officials came to the conclusion but this is a sentiment that has been echoed by a number of others, who believe the girls already have been moved out of Nigeria and into neighboring countries.
A group of girls believed to be some of the abducted girls from Chibok were reportedly sighted being escorted by some gunmen in the war torn Central Africa Republic last week.
However, the Boko Haram posted a video on the girls on Monday.
One of the leading newspaper in Cameroon, Cameroon Tribune, posted this on its website on May 11.
According to the report, the US envoy was at the ministry to thank Cameroon for the efforts to support in finding the adducted girls.
Thome said, “I conveyed to the Minister that President Barack Obama is personally very interested and deeply offended by this terrible act that Boko Haram had done.
“We discussed the fact that there is really no evidence that the girls are in Cameroon.”
He assured that the US Government and its counterpart in Cameroon would collaborate in helping Nigeria come out of the throes of the Islamic militant group.
Earlier, a former United Kingdom Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said that the search for the abducted girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State should be shifted to Nigeria’s neighboring countries including Cameroon.
The former UK Prime Minister who is the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Global Education told the Cable News Network.
Brown said, “The search must be in Niger, Cameroon and Chad, to see if we can find information.
“It’s vital to use the information to find the girls before they are dispersed across Africa, which is a very real possibility.”
The Pentagon had on Friday said the girls had been split into groups without giving out detail of how they arrived at the conclusion.
The Pentagon Press Secretary, US Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, expressed this.
Kirby said, “We do think they have been broken up into smaller groups.”
He declined to give the detail how US officials came to the conclusion but this is a sentiment that has been echoed by a number of others, who believe the girls already have been moved out of Nigeria and into neighboring countries.
A group of girls believed to be some of the abducted girls from Chibok were reportedly sighted being escorted by some gunmen in the war torn Central Africa Republic last week.
However, the Boko Haram posted a video on the girls on Monday.
Obasanjo condemns schoolgirls’ abduction
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
on Monday condemned the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in Government
Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State.
Obasanjo made the condemnation during
the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Jigawa State Government
to adopt a junior secondary school and a primary school in Kudai, Dutse.
He appealed to the abductors to
release them without any condition because the girls were innocent and should
not be made to suffer unreasonably.
“Whatever the grievances, objectives
and anger of this group of people who are behind this abduction, they should
not have acted on these innocent girls.
“We condemn their action and also appeal to them to release these girls unconditionally because they have important contributions for the future of this country,” Obasanjo said.
“We condemn their action and also appeal to them to release these girls unconditionally because they have important contributions for the future of this country,” Obasanjo said.
The former president sympathised
with the parents of the girls but added that people should not be discouraged
to send their female children to school.
He said Nigerians should see what happened as a stumble and not a fall and be challenged to give their girls good education.
He said Nigerians should see what happened as a stumble and not a fall and be challenged to give their girls good education.
Obasanjo prayed and expressed the
hope that the girls would be found and delivered to their parents.
He said that his visit to the state was to fulfil a promise he made during Jigawa Economic Summit to adopt a school and transform it to a model on the African continent.
He said that his visit to the state was to fulfil a promise he made during Jigawa Economic Summit to adopt a school and transform it to a model on the African continent.
Lamido thanked Obasanjo for his support and cooperation for the development of the state.
Boko Haram Releases New Video Showing Kidnapped Girls Alive
A new video released by Islamist
militants Boko Haram claims to show around 100 girls kidnapped from a school in
Nigeria last month.
The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, said they would be held until all imprisoned militants had been freed.
The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, said they would be held until all imprisoned militants had been freed.
He said
the girls had converted to
Islam. The video, released on Monday, claims to show them praying.Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls from northern Nigeria on 14 April and threatened to sell them.
The BBC’s John Simpson in the
northern city of Maiduguri said Boko Haram’s comments showed signs that the
group was willing to negotiate.
Three of the girls are shown speaking in the 17-minute video, obtained by French news agency
AFP, wearing the full-length hijab.
Three of the girls are shown speaking in the 17-minute video, obtained by French news agency
AFP, wearing the full-length hijab.
Three girls are shown speaking in
the 17-minute video and one says the group have not been harmed
Two girls say they were Christian and have converted to Islam, while the other says she is Muslim.
Two girls say they were Christian and have converted to Islam, while the other says she is Muslim.
“These girls, these girls you occupy
yourselves with… we have indeed liberated them. These girls have become
Muslims,” Abubakar Shekau says in the video.
It is thought the majority of the abducuted girls are Christians, although there are a number of Muslims among them.
Correspondents said the girls appeared calm and one said that they had not been harmed.
There is no indication of when or where the video was taken.
It is thought the majority of the abducuted girls are Christians, although there are a number of Muslims among them.
Correspondents said the girls appeared calm and one said that they had not been harmed.
There is no indication of when or where the video was taken.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau uses
the video to call for imprisoned Boko Haram fighters to be freed
It is estimated to show about 130 girls – just under half of the 276 pupils abducted from their school in the northern state of Borno.
It is estimated to show about 130 girls – just under half of the 276 pupils abducted from their school in the northern state of Borno.
Our correspondent says this could
mean the group has been split into smaller groups to help avoid detection.
Boko Haram had previously admitted to kidnapping the girls.
The group, whose name means “Western
education is forbidden,” said they should not have been at school and should
get married instead.Boko Haram had previously admitted to kidnapping the girls.
Boko Haram has been engaged in a violent campaign against the Nigerian government since 2009.
Amosun names Ijebu Ode flyover after Awujale
Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun
The
Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has named the flyover at Ijebu Ode,
Ogun State after the Awujale and the paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba
Sikiru Adetona.
He made this announcement during the
monarch’s 80th birthday on Saturday held at Otunba Dipo Dina
International Stadium, Ijebu Ode,as part of the gesture to honour him.
Amosun described the monarch as a colossus who represents the best and finest of the traditional institution.
He said even generations yet unborn would meet the legacy of the Oba.
He said, “The Awujale is fearless and he
uses his wealth of experience to help the government. And to honour
him, we are naming the first flyover in Ijebuland after him and it is to
known as Oba Sikiru Adetona Flyover.”
Also the All Progressives Congress
leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), described Oba Adetona as a “leader
of great quality in person and character” while the Chairman, Peoples
Democratic Party, Adamu Mu’azu, saw him as a good leader and an epitome
of humility.
The Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr.
Seriake Dickson, who described himself as a ‘son of the soil’ with his
late great grandmother, Princess Adebukola Fidipote, being of Ijebu
extraction, lauded him for promoting peace in Ijebuland and the state in
general.
I have information on abducted girls – Shettima
The
governor of Nigeria’s Borno state says he has information on the
whereabouts of about 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist group Boko
Haram.
Governor Kashim Shettima said he had passed reports of the sightings of the girls to the military for verification.
Mr Shettima added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.
Earlier, France’s president offered to host a summit on Boko Haram.
“I suggested, with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a meeting of Nigeria’s neighbouring countries” Francois Hollande said.
“If the countries agree, it should take place next Saturday” he added.
Countries neighbouring Nigeria, such as Cameroon, Niger and Chad, would be invited to the security summit.
Aides said the US, UK and EU would also be likely to attend.
The US, UK and France have already pledged technical assistance to the Nigerian government.
Meanwhile, President Jonathan said an Israeli counter-terrorism team would arrive in Nigeria to help in searching for the schoolgirls, who were abducted last month.
French troops entered Mali last year to push out al-Qaeda affiliated militants.
Both the US and UK distanced themselves from suggestions that they would send soldiers to take part in the military operation in the vast north of Nigeria.
“There’s no intention at this point to be putting any American boots on the ground” said US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on Sunday.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said it was unlikely Nigeria would ask for British troops to help, but he added: “I said to President Jonathan where we can help, please ask, and we will see what we can do.”
“I rang the Nigerian president to offer anything that would be helpful and we agreed to send out a team that includes some counter-terrorism and intelligence experts to work alongside the bigger American team that’s going out there.”
Mr. Cameron later tweeted his support for a hash tag aimed at raising awareness of the abductions.
Governor Kashim Shettima said he had passed reports of the sightings of the girls to the military for verification.
Mr Shettima added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.
Earlier, France’s president offered to host a summit on Boko Haram.
“I suggested, with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a meeting of Nigeria’s neighbouring countries” Francois Hollande said.
“If the countries agree, it should take place next Saturday” he added.
Countries neighbouring Nigeria, such as Cameroon, Niger and Chad, would be invited to the security summit.
Aides said the US, UK and EU would also be likely to attend.
The US, UK and France have already pledged technical assistance to the Nigerian government.
Meanwhile, President Jonathan said an Israeli counter-terrorism team would arrive in Nigeria to help in searching for the schoolgirls, who were abducted last month.
French troops entered Mali last year to push out al-Qaeda affiliated militants.
Both the US and UK distanced themselves from suggestions that they would send soldiers to take part in the military operation in the vast north of Nigeria.
“There’s no intention at this point to be putting any American boots on the ground” said US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on Sunday.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said it was unlikely Nigeria would ask for British troops to help, but he added: “I said to President Jonathan where we can help, please ask, and we will see what we can do.”
“I rang the Nigerian president to offer anything that would be helpful and we agreed to send out a team that includes some counter-terrorism and intelligence experts to work alongside the bigger American team that’s going out there.”
Mr. Cameron later tweeted his support for a hash tag aimed at raising awareness of the abductions.
Borno govt. to rebuild shops destroyed by insurgents
2947/11/5
Photos: Usher, Dwayne Johnson, Tinubu others join the #BringBackOurGirls campaign
Celebrities, media personalities and political figures all over the
world continue to lend their voices, condemning the mass abduction of
Chibok schoolgirls from their dorm 23 days ago by Boko Haram insurgents.
Usher (Singer), Dwayne Johnson/the Rock (wrestler and actor), David Cameron ( Britain’s PM) and others are the latest public figures who have showed solidarity for the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
Usher (Singer), Dwayne Johnson/the Rock (wrestler and actor), David Cameron ( Britain’s PM) and others are the latest public figures who have showed solidarity for the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
Cameron joins “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign
Prime Minister David Cameron has promised Britain “will do what we can” to help find more than 200 kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls.He made the comments as he held a sign bearing the “#Bring Back Our Girls” slogan on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show.
Mr Cameron is the latest high-profile supporter of the social media campaign after US First Lady Michelle Obama was pictured with a similar poster.
The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has claimed the abductions.
During the programme, fellow guest Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international correspondent, handed Mr Cameron the sign and asked if he would like to join the campaign.
Taking it from her, he replied: “Happily.”
Mr Cameron later tweeted: “Proud to support #BringBackOurGirls.”
He told the BBC One programme: “I rang the Nigerian president to offer anything that would be helpful and we agreed to send out a team that includes some counter-terrorism and intelligence experts to work alongside the bigger American team that’s going out there.
“We stand ready to do anything more that the Nigerians would want.”
He said it was unlikely Nigeria would ask for British troops to help but added: “I said to President Jonathan where we can help, please ask, and we will see what we can do.”
American Marines Locate Abducted Girls in Sambisa Forest!
This was even as more US military officials arrived Nigeria yesterday to join local officials in the search while the UK team had earlier arrived in Abuja to support Nigerian government in its response to the abduction of over 200 school girls.
Sources told Saturday Vanguardin Abuja that members of the United States Marines who are already in Maiduguri following the promise by President Barak Obama to assist Nigeria in rescuing the abducted girls, located the girls inside the forest, using some Satellite equipment which combed theforest, located an assembly of the young girls and sent the images back to the
Marines on ground in Maiduguri.
Aside locating the whereabouts of the girls in the dense forest, it was also, further gathered that one of the leaders of terrorist group who participated in the abduction of the girls was arrested by a combined team of the US Marines and Nigerian forces.
Sources said that the Boko Haram leader was arrested, through an advanced interceptor equipment which was used to track the terrorist while exchanging information with his colleagues in Sambisa Forest about the movements of American and Nigerian soldiers in Maiduguri.
His phone was subsequently traced to a location in Maiduguri where he was arrested and handed over to the Nigerian military.
The location of the girls in the forest is contrary to widespread reports that the girls had been distributed and ferried to the Nigerian border towns in Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic.
Senator Ahmed Zanna, representing Borno Central District in whose Maiduguri home, an alleged Boko Haram top commander was once arrested told the Senate last week that he gave the Military an up-to-date information on how the girls could be rescued, but lamented that his information was largely ignored.
He spoke against the backdrop of the claim by the Boko Haram leader, Sheik Abubakar Shekau, last week that the girls were booties of war, who would be sold into slavery.
‘Boko Haram Plans to Exchange Kidnapped Schoolgirls for Imprisoned Comrades’ – Former Boko Haram Negotiator
Shehu Sani, who has previously brokered face-to-face peace talks with
Boko Haram, told DT that he believed the video in which Boko Haram’s
leader threatened to sell the girls as “slaves” was proof that it
planned to use them as bargaining chips rather than kill them. The video
released earlier this week showed Abubakar Shekau gloating that he
would sell the captives “in the market” to anyone wishing to take them
as wives.
But while the broadcast appalled the captives’ families and provoked worldwide outrage, Mr Sani
saw it as a veiled attempt to reach out for a trade with the Nigerian government.
Mr Sani said:
From my knowledge of the group, to have him saying that he will sell them is proof that this issue can be resolved.
If you look at the fact that these girls have already been in captivity for some three weeks, then it is possible to detect a conciliatory tone in this statement from Shekau – he is not saying he is going to kill the girls. The group is most likely to want to attach some kind of conditions to the girls being released, such as the freeing of some of their own prisoners.
But while the broadcast appalled the captives’ families and provoked worldwide outrage, Mr Sani
saw it as a veiled attempt to reach out for a trade with the Nigerian government.
Mr Sani said:
From my knowledge of the group, to have him saying that he will sell them is proof that this issue can be resolved.
If you look at the fact that these girls have already been in captivity for some three weeks, then it is possible to detect a conciliatory tone in this statement from Shekau – he is not saying he is going to kill the girls. The group is most likely to want to attach some kind of conditions to the girls being released, such as the freeing of some of their own prisoners.
Boko Haram ‘split girls into four groups’
Intelligence sources believe girls kidnapped from a school in
Nigeria may have been split into four groups after they were taken by
militant Islamist group Boko Haram, making finding them an increasingly
difficult task.
Sources claim British and American officials are using advanced eavesdropping equipment to scan the Sambisa forest where the girls are believed to be, Sky News has reported.
Sources claim British and American officials are using advanced eavesdropping equipment to scan the Sambisa forest where the girls are believed to be, Sky News has reported.
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