Chibok girls not missing – Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Wednesday declared that no pupil was abducted by Boko Haram from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

Fayose vows to lead opposition against APC

Over 200 pupils of the school were reportedly abducted in 2014 by the terror group.

The governor said the report was politically motivated to influence public opinion against the Goodluck Jonathan  administration ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Fayose spoke while declaring open a two-day workshop on “Political Aspirants Capacity Enhancement” organised by Women Arise for Change Initiative. It was organised for  women from Ekiti, Osun and Ondo states.

He  said, “Today, many opposition leaders are underground. I don’t think any of these girls is missing; it is a political strategy. Who is fooling who? If you wanted to use it to remove some people, you have succeeded already.

“I don’t know if there are missing girls but no indication has shown that. It is a political strategy,  because I don’t think any girl is missing. If they are missing, let them find them.”

The governor  also took a swipe at #BringBackOurGirls campaigners, saying some of them are using it to look for appointments.

He lamented that  human rights groups had decided  to keep  quite since  President Muhammadu Buhari came on  board.

Fayose said, “I’m concerned about the activities of human rights groups. Today the government of the day is obeying court order of their choice, while human rights are not respected.

“We must talk about government providing cover for criminals. You are now using that person to harass innocent person. You will never have peace when you hide justice.”

He added, “Police came into town yesterday (Tuesday)  to  arrest political opponents. If you like, demonise me, I will demonise you. I don’t need the police and the SSS (Department of State Services) to walk in my state. It is when you are not popular that you walk with police.

“Any government that rises against me, that government will come down. I’m Peter the rock. By engaging me, you make me more popular and relevant and then court sympathy. I’m one person that is going places. That is why all these challenges are against me.”

The governor urged women seeking elective offices to be loyal to their husbands.

The President of the initiative, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, said the objective of the workshop was to enhance women political participation and their inclusion in decision making process by promoting female political aspirants and appointees. She said it was to encourage a more massive political mobilisation of women.

She lamented that Nigerian women had not fully involved themselves in politics,  despite the constitutional provisions giving  them rights to political participation.

Chibok girls not missing – Fayose

Jonathan called me 19 days after Chibok girls’ abduction – Shettima

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Monday said former President Goodluck Jonathan did not call him until after 19 days after the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, in 2014.

Jonathan in Borno

No fewer than 259 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram militants from their hostel in GSS, Chibok, on April 14, 2014 as they prepared for their West African Senior Secondary   Certificate Examinations.

A few of the girls managed to escape from the terrorists, who were said to have dressed like military men and loaded the girls into trucks and headed for an unknown destinations.

Over 219 of the girls are yet to be rescued since the unfortunate incident.

Shettima, however, said Jonathan, who was the President at the time of the mass abduction, only called him on the kidnapping about three weeks after the incident, which generated global outrage at the time.

The Borno State governor said this while receiving former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Government House, Maiduguri, after the ex-President arrived at the state capital on a two-day visit.

Obasanjo was on a visit to Borno on the invitation of the University of Maiduguri as part of the institution’s 40th anniversary celebration.

Trying to draw a comparison between the leadership style of Obasanjo and Jonathan, Shettima believed Obasanjo would have handled the issue of the kidnapping differently were he to be the nation’s President at the time.

He stated, “In our own case, Your Excellency, after the Chibok abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in April, 2014, it took 19 days for me to receive a call from the Presidency. I brought this mainly to show the difference, because we will only appreciate scenarios when we make comparisons.”

The governor recalled that the current Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who was a top member of the All Progressives Congress in 2014, hailed Obasanjo’s leadership qualities in a conversation after the mass abduction.

Shettima added, “I was actually lamenting to him on governance at the federal level with relations to the poor handling of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Chief Ogbeh said, ‘Look, I might have had some political differences with President Olusegun Obasanjo but to say it as it is, if Obasanjo had been President while this insurgency is happening in Borno and other parts of the North-East, you would have witnessed what responsive leadership entails’.”

Shettima noted that Obasanjo’s visit on Monday marked the ex-President’s first visit to the Borno State Government House since 1976.

The governor described himself as “lucky and privileged” to receive the former President as the governor of the state.

Obasanjo, in his reaction, said the Boko Haram insurgency would become a thing of the past judging from the military’s string of successes against the extremist group in recent times.

The former President, who was in Maiduguri in 2011 to initiate a possible dialogue between the Jonathan administration and the insurgents, commended  President Muhammadu Buhari’s strategies to fighting the terrorists, noting that peace was gradually returning to the troubled areas.

He said, “A lot of water has passed under the bridge in this part of the country. I must not forget to commiserate with all our people in this state and indeed the entire North-East, which have been victims of insurgency in the way we have never witnessed in this country before.

“I travel a lot in Africa and outside Africa, and wherever I have gone in recent times, what people want to know is what and how Nigeria is coping with the situation of insurgency.

“Today, I think we are not out of the woods yet but it would appear that we can see the light beyond the tunnel.

“There is no doubt that with the combined efforts at the local level, at the state level and at the federal level, and even at the community level, our security forces are on the ascendancy over the forces of destruction, the menace and danger of insurgency that we have experienced for almost six years now.”

According to Obasanjo, Buhari has shown that he is passionate about ending insecurity in the country, calling for support for his government.

He added, “Talking to the President (Buhari) about the issue of insurgency in particular and insecurity in general, I know that he is very, very concerned, and not only very concerned, he has got it right.

“He (Buhari) has ensured that where they (Boko Haram) have occupied is cleared of any mines. Where you have mines, lives are not only insecure, people feel intimidated for you never know when you may step on them.”

Jonathan called me 19 days after Chibok girls’ abduction – Shettima

Suicide bomber detained in Cameroon says she’s one of Chibok girls

Fidelis Soriwei and Jesusegun Alagbe

A suspected female suicide bomber who was intercepted in northern Cameroon on Friday before she could blow herself up claimed to be one of the 219 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Chibok, North-East Nigeria in April 2014, military and local government sources said.

Chibok girls

According to a Reuters report on Friday, two girls carrying explosives were stopped by local self-defence forces in the village of Limani in northern Cameroon.

They were then handed over to Cameroonian soldiers belonging to a multi-national force set up to take on Boko Haram.

Boko Haram militants raided Chibok, Borno State in April 2014, abducting about 300 schoolgirls, who have since been in their captivity.

Despite several promises by former President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari, the girls have yet to be found.

“One of them indeed declared that she is one of the Chibok hostages. She is around 15. We are now verifying, because on the Nigerian side they have the names and photos of these girls,” a local government administrator, Raymond Roksdo, told Reuters.

Two military sources, who asked not to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the press, also confirmed that the girl had claimed to have been one of the Chibok abductees.

“We need a few days to be able to confirm this information. We have to debrief all the men who were present and interrogate the two girls before we can say anything,” one of the military sources said.

Meanwhile, the troops of the Nigerian Army have killed two female suicide bombers who were allegedly planning attacks in Borno State.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said that soldiers of the 7 Division Garrison, Maiduguri, on Friday intercepted the two female suicide bombers around 1.20 am south of Umurari village on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

Usman said that while one of the female suicide bombers detonated the explosives strapped to her body and killed herself on sighting the soldiers, the other was taken out by one of the snipers of the garrison.

He said that the combined team of the army and the Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal detonated the explosive device that was strapped to the body of the late female suicide bomber.

He said the troops and the members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were combing the area to prevent a further breach of peace there.

He said, “The ever alert and vigilant troops of 7 Division Garrison based in Maiduguri, in conjunction with Civilian JTF, averted yet another suicide attack on the innocent citizens of Borno State today.

“The troops intercepted two female suicide bombers at about 1.20am this morning, almost 100 metres south of Umurari village, outskirts of Maiduguri.

“However, one of the suicide bombers, on sighting our troops, detonated her explosive device, killing herself instantly, while the second bomber, in an attempt to escape, was gunned down by one of the garrison snipers.

“The combined team of the Nigeria Police and the Nigerian Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team safely detonated the unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices strapped on the gunned down suicide bomber.

“It is important to state that there was no casualty beyond the two suicide bombers. Presently, the troops and the Civilian JTF deployed in the village are now combing the general area to forestall further breach of security.”

Suicide bomber detained in Cameroon says she’s one of Chibok girls

Western govts ‘knew where Chibok schoolgirls were’

Both the British and United States (U.S.) governments knew where some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram members from Chibok were hidden but felt powerless to launch a rescue mission, it has been reported.

More than 200 girls have remained missing since 2014 when they were kidnapped by the terrorist group from a boarding school in Chibok while preparing for end-of-year exams.

Although 57 of the 276 girls managed to escape, the rest have not been seen since May 2014, when they appeared in a video reciting verses of the Koran.

But a former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock, has said that a large group of the missing girls were spotted but the governments felt any rescue attempt was risky.

He told The Sunday Times: “A couple of months after the kidnapping, fly-bys and an American eye in the sky spotted a group of up to 80 girls in a particular spot in the Sambisa forest, around a very large tree, called locally the Tree of Life, along with evidence of vehicular movement and a large encampment.

“A land-based attack would have been seen coming miles away and the girls killed, an air-based rescue, such as flying in helicopters or Hercules, would have required large numbers and meant a significant risk to the rescuers and even more so to the girls.

“You might have rescued a few but many would have been killed. My personal fear was always about the girls not in that encampment — 80 were there, but  250 were taken, so the bulk were not there. What would have happened to them? You were damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”

Western govts ‘knew where Chibok schoolgirls were’

Intensify efforts to rescue Chibok girls, Senate tells Buhari

ABUJA— THE Senate, yesterday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to intensify efforts to ensure the release of the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents 690 days ago.

According to the Senate, the Federal Government should also come up with micro-economic policies that will encourage women to participate in small scale businesses.

It expressed readiness to reform relevant laws to ensure that certain quota was reserved exclusively for women in the three arms of government.

These resolutions were sequel to a motion on International Women’s Day by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, APC, Lagos Central.

In her presentation, Senator Tinubu, who decried the growing gender inequality in the country, in spite of several gender friendly laws, said Nigerian women had suffered several forms of discrimination, ranging from abduction, rape to male dominance on inheritance.

She said: “I am concerned that rape is on the increase in the country and this is with little prosecution. There is, therefore, a need for re-orientation on gender equality, women’s rights and adequate allocation of resources.”

In his contribution, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who expressed concern that in spite of the growing level of democracy in the country, the representation of women in all arms of government was dwindling, said that if not promptly addressed, the trend would lead to non-representation of women in governance, adding that such would be detrimental to the development of the country.

Also in her contribution, Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujinmi, PDP, Ekiti South, called for solution to child marriage and other practices that had been detrimental to the survival of the girl-child in the society.

He noted that all the issues plaguing women should be placed in their proper perspectives, if Nigeria as a country must reap the benefits of having the girl-child.

She said:  “ Mr. President, today is our day, the International Women’s Day. I want to congratulate the chairman of the women affairs committee, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who brought up this motion.

“We want the whole world to put on the front burner the issues of gender equality, the issues of our children, the issues of rape, the issues of abduction and the issues of child marriage. we have to put all of them on the proper perspective for the country to be able to reap from the benefits.

‘’Whichever way you want to see it, we are the salt of the earth. We make everything fine and where ever we are as women, there is always sanity, probity and there is always accountability.’ In his remarks, President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, noted that the 8th Senate would ensure that amendment of all relevant laws were carried out to involve more women in government.

Intensify efforts to rescue Chibok girls, Senate tells Buhari

Stop lying to Nigerians about Boko Haram – Ezekwesili dares Buhari

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili on Monday charged President Muhammadu Buhari to always tell Nigerians the truth when it comes to insurgency so as to stop creating doubts in the minds of the citizenry.

Obiageli Ezekwesili on Al Jazeera

Ezekwesili who is the leader of the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, movement made the call at the group’s usual sit-out in Abuja.

Ezekwesili said, “The government cannot afford to go to the old ways where lies were fed to the people. Let there be truthfulness. Government should not create a trust deficit syndrome because it will be difficult to mend. Everything that the government is doing concerning the war, they should tell the truth. We will get used to it and join in the solution.”

Stating that BBOG will continue to demand for the return of the kidnapped Chibok girls, Ezekwesili beckoned on the President to fulfill the promise he made to the parents of the kidnapped girls.

“What drove us out of our comfort zone is that we got tired of not doing anything. We will continue with our core value. No matter what anyone want to do, this advocacy will continue. A pledge is a pledge. We made a pledge to parents of the Chibok girls and will not fail in this pledge.”

“We have gone through a lot. But what we have gone through is little of what the 219 girls are going through in the hands of the Boko Haram sect. Let nobody succeed in making us feel we should not continue. We will continue until the girls are back. The girls deserve justice and they have not been given justice. We are unhappy that they are spending close to two years in the hands of the terrorists.”

“I have not lost hope. There is no basis to lose hope. Though we might be depressed sometimes, we won’t lose hope. We will stand for the girls. We will hold on to the commitment the president made to the Chibok girls’ parents and Nigerians. We believe that he will keep his promise and bring the girls back.”

“Some people have been vocal about our Chibok girls, but now they feel the Chibok girls are distractions. Our Chibok girls are not distractions,” she said.

Stop lying to Nigerians about Boko Haram – Ezekwesili dares Buhari

Rescuing Chibok girls is my responsibility - Buhari

 

Buhari storms out of the meeting with BBOG – Group

ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday said that securing the release and safe return of the missing 219 Chibok girls was his responsibility.

This came as he ordered National Security Adviser, NSA, General Babagana Munguno to set up a panel to investigate the abduction  of the girls from Government Secondary in Chibok, Borno State in April 2014.

The panel however is yet to be named by NSA.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the president on media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu on Thursday stated that the “investigation will seek to, among other things, unravel the remote and immediate circumstances leading the kidnap of the girls by Boko Haram terrorists as well the other  events, actions and in actions that followed the incident.”

Meanwhile, speaking at a meeting attended by some parents of the abducted girls, representatives of the Chibok community and members of the Bring Back Our Girls movement at the Banquet Hall of the State House, President Buhari said that he remained fully committed to his pledge  to rescue the girls.

He regretted that the previous government he succeeded failed to purchase the necessary weapons meant to adequately combat insurgency in the country.

“I assure you that I go to bed and wake up every day with the Chibok girls on my mind. The unfortunate incident happened before this government came into being.

“What have we done since we assumed office? We re-organized the military, removed all the service chiefs and ordered the succeeding service chiefs to deal decisively with the Boko Haram insurgency.

“In spite of the terrible economic condition we found ourselves in, we tried to get some resources to give to the military to reorganize and  equip, retrain, deploy more troops and move more forcefully against Boko Haram.

“And you all know the progress we have made. When we came in Boko Haram was in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno. Boko Haram has now been reduced to areas around Lake Chad.

“Securing the Chibok girls is my responsibility. The service chiefs and heads of our security agencies will tell you that in spite of the dire financial straits that we  found the country in, I continue to do my best to support their efforts in that regard.

“This is a Nigeria where we were exporting average of two million barrels per day at over 140 dollars per barrel. Now it is down to about 27 to 30 dollars.

“You have been reading in the press how they took public funds, our funds, your funds and shared it, instead of buying weapons. That was the kind of leadership I succeeded. That was the kind of economy I inherited.

President Buhari who was accompanied to the meeting by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali, Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai and the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd) however stated he had tried his best to secure the release of the girls.

“God knows I have done my best and I will continue to do my best,” President Buhari said.

Also speaking at the meeting, the Chief of Defence staff told the meeting that in the last three months the military has liberated more than 3000 people kidnapped by Boko Haram in the North eastern part of the country.

He said that the military had the ability to  rescue the Chibok girls, but added that “intelligence is delicate and we don’t want to ​do ​anything to jeopardize the lives of the girls.”

Meanwhile, Information by the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) revealed that President Buhari on Thursday stormed out of his meeting with the parents of the abducted Chibok girls while journalists were barred from the Banquet Hall, after the arrival of the President.

Earlier, there was drama when the parents and the group were told that the president would not meet with them but they insisted on seeing the president, who had promised, on July 8, to rescue the abducted schoolgirls.

 The president had sent Aisha Alhassan (Mama Taraba), minister of women affairs, as his representative but Alhassan lambasted the protesters for not giving the government prior notice of their coming

Rescuing Chibok girls is my responsibility - Buhari

Is Nigerian President, Buhari ready to rescue chibok girls?

By Ehi Ekhator

Numerous Nigerians, especially apologists to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP have kept responding to the disclosure made by President Muhammadu Buhari concerning the whereabouts of the more than 200 Chibok girls captured by Boko Haram.

President Buhari

The girls were kidnapped in Christian dominated community called Chibok in Borno State on February 14, 2014 as they were preparing for their exams.

Controversy trailed the abduction as blames were passed from the state government, school authorities and the then federal government led by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The former President, Goodluck Jonathan was voted out in the 2015 general election as a result of his inability to rescue the chibok girls, corruption, unemployment and power.

Nigerians expected promising end to present circumstances as President Muhammadu Buhari was elected. There was celebration home and abroad as he guaranteed to handle corruption – a scourge that is quick sinking the nation notoriety. He also guaranteed among many other things, to organize the safeguarding of the kidnapped girls and free the nation from the tight hold of terrorism.

While addressing the nation after taking the oath of office, Buhari said “The most immediate is Boko Haram’s insurgency. But we cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents. This government will do all it can to rescue them alive.”

The Nigerian President may have forgotten the statement credited to him above before telling BBC Hausa that Boko Haram was “technically defeated.”

Chibok girls

The seemed confused President said “”So I think technically we have won the war because people are going back into their neighbourhoods. Boko Haram as an organised fighting force, I assure you, that we have dealt with them.”

On Thursday, Nigerian president, during a media chat gave a shocking revelation about the whereabouts of the missing girls which indirectly undermined the sincerity and seriousness of the government to rescue the girls; showed the incompetency of the Nigerian forces.

Buhari had told the panel of journalists that there was no clear intelligence of the whereabouts of the girls, assuring that he was ready to negotiate with the terrorists if a genuine member signifies interest.

PMB said “We wanted to make contact but we insist on identifying the bonafide so-called Boko Haram leadership,”

The president said he had no concrete intelligence on where the girls were or the state of their health, adding that “That is the honest truth.”

Before any negotiations can begin “we are looking for a credible Boko Haram leadership that will confirm that the girls are alive,

“We want to be sure that they (the girls) are complete, safe before holding any talks” he added

As a president with all intelligence at his beck and call, it was disgraceful to know that about eight months after assuming office, he is yet to know the state of the girls or their whereabouts.

In October, a local newspaper reported that Chibok girls were alive but many impregnated, some suffering from VVF and other diseases, a revelation that was quickly denied by the military.

Two days after Buhari claimed not to know their whereabouts, a Nigerian journalist,  Ahmed Salkida who was reported to be very close to the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau revealed that the girls were alive and well.

According to a report by TheCable on Friday, Salkida said instead of the Nigerian President to use state machinery to open access to the sect, he displayed his ignorance by saying he doesn’t know the whereabouts of the missing girls.

The journalist opined that the girls can return to their parents only if the government showed half readiness as some of the girls in captivity who have refused to denounce their religion for Islam.

“Most of the Chibok girls, whether they are split into groups or not, are alive, multiple credible sources have told me. And if a deal to release them will weaken national security and endanger the entire country, then the federal government shouldn’t make a deal,” Salkida said.

He added:“I am confident that Chibok girls and other captives can return to their families if the government is half as strong-willed as some of the girls in captivity that have refused to be married out or give up their faith.

“The girls would have never backed out of any process, no matter how irritating it is. They would stay on and negotiate hard until they get a deal that will earn them their freedom and stop such abductions so that no one else can ever witness their woeful plight.”

Meanwhile, despite the said technical defeat, Boko Haram has continued to launch damning attacks that have killed thousands of innocent Nigerians since the All Progressives Congress, APC party, which claimed would end insurgency in December take over.

Will the girls ever be rescued? China, Cameroon, UK, US, and other countries have promised to help Nigeria with intelligence and as at 31^st, Nigerian government claimed ignorance of any credible information that may lead to the rescue of the girls.

 

 

Is Nigerian President, Buhari ready to rescue chibok girls?

Chibok girls alive and kicking, says Boko Haram’s contact

Ahmed Salkida, journalist cum confidant of the leadership of Boko Haram is confident the abducted Chibok girls are still alive with some of them refusing to convert to Islam.

Chibok girls

No fewer than 200 of the original 300 schoolgirls kidnapped from their dormitory in April 2014 are believed to still remain in the custody of the terrorists.

President Muhammadu Buhari said in his maiden Media Chat on radio and television on Wednesday that government had no intelligence on the whereabouts of the schoolgirls.

He promised to negotiate with the Boko Haram leadership if there is evidence showing where the girls are.

Online publication, The Cable, quoted Salkida yesterday as asking Buhari to use state machinery to open up access to the militants rather than say he has no clue on the kidnapped girls whose abductions sparked off the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

“Most of the Chibok girls, whether they are split into groups or not, are alive, multiple credible sources have told me. And if a deal to release them will weaken national security and endanger the entire country, then the federal government shouldn’t make a deal,” Salkida said.

He added:“I am confident that Chibok girls and other captives can return to their families if the government is half as strong-willed as some of the girls in captivity that have refused to be married out or give up their faith.

“The girls would have never backed out of any process, no matter how irritating it is. They would stay on and negotiate hard until they get a deal that will earn them their freedom and stop such abductions so that no one else can ever witness their woeful plight.”

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau — from whom nothing has been heard in the last 10 months — once released a video of the schoolgirls and said he had sold them off to marriage. All efforts to free the girls have failed.

Chibok girls alive and kicking, says Boko Haram’s contact

Chibok girl escapes, says others impregnated with different diseases

•Many have given births to children against their will
•Others carrying VVF, other diseases

By Kingsley Omonobi

There were indications weekend that many of the 200 girls of the Government Secondary School, Chibok abducted in April 2014, are alive and holed up in the Lake Chad region of the North-East epicentre of the battle to dislodge Boko Haram terrorists from Nigeria.

Chibok girls

Sources disclosed to Saturday Vanguardthat the girls who were relocated from the initial Sambisa Camps of the terrorists, following unrelenting bombardments by air and land operations, have been relocated to Lake Chad area with some of the girls spread along border communities.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that about two weeks ago, one of the abducted girls who was formerly kept in a Sambisa forest camp, escaped from the hands of the abductors and ran into the hands of some Fulani herdsmen. It was the Fulani herdsmen having confirmed that the girl was a Chibok girl, who assisted her to get to the Baga military base of the multi-national Joint Task Force.

At the Baga base, the escapee girl was said to have confessed that many of them were forcefully married to the terrorists who not only impregnated them but infected some of them with different diseases. On her part, she was not only impregnated, but she got the VVF disease from one of the terrorists.

According to the escapee, at the camp where she escaped from there were about 60 of the girls while others were shared and moved to border communities. Narrating more tales of woes on what the Chibok girls went through and are still going through in the hands of the terrorists, the source said though the Chibok girl had just put to bed, the VVF (Vesicant Virginal Fistula) disease with which she was infected by the terrorist had made her uncomfortable hence her decision to flee to seek for medical help, as she was repeatedly passing solid waste uncontrollably.

Continuing, the source said, “When the Fulani herdsman saw the girl in the bush and questioned her about her mission, she narrated her experience, which made the herdsman to take her to the soldiers in that area. With her escape, there are now 59 of the girls left in her camp.”

Emphasizing that almost all of the girls have been married out to the Boko Harram terrorists while quite a number of them have delivered babies, the escapee told security agencies that the girls were always moved from place to place in the Sambisa forest during the bombardments but that when the heat was too much, they were all moved out of the forest.

The escapee further disclosed to security agencies that Boko Haram terrorists have been seriously weakened and are now moving from place to place aimlessly like lost sheep, planting mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) which some security forces have mistakenly fallen prey to.

“All of us were forced to become Muslims but kept in camps far from each other”, she revealed. “You can only see and recognize those in your camp as any of us who refused being Islamized was either beheaded or shot at point blank range.”

She revealed further that the camps where the Chibok girls are now kept are in Kangoora, Mallam Fatori, Damasak, Tunbun Kaka and Tumbum Gira. Many of these towns are located in the border communities around Lake Chad with some in Nigeria and others in Chad.

Chibok girl escapes, says others impregnated with different diseases

Chibok Girls: Boko Haram demands release of bomb maker in custody - Buhari

Fed Govt ready for talks to free Chibok schoolgirls

Government officials have met with the leaders of Boko Haram sect for talks on freedom for the abducted Chibok girls, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said in France.

Buhari and Hollande of France

He however added that apart from ensuring that it negotiates with genuine leaders of the sect, the government rejected the condition given to it by the sect to proceed with the negotiations.

The condition is for the release from custody of the main suspect behind the production of Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs).

The President, who was rounding off his state visit to France, spoke during a meeting with the Nigerian community, who met with him under the auspices of Nigerians In the Diaspora Organisation (NIDO)

Buhari said: “The issue of Chibok girls has occupied our minds and because of the international attention it drew and the sympathy throughout the country and the world, the government is negotiating with some of Boko Haram’s leadership.

“It is a very sensitive development in the sense that first we have to establish who are the genuine leaders of the Boko Haram. That is number one. Number two, what are their terms? The first impression we had was not very encouraging,” he said

He said: “They wanted us to release one of their leaders who is a strategic person in developing and making IEDs which have been causing a lot of havoc in the country by blowing up people in churches, mosques, market places, motor parks and other places.

“But it is very important that if we are going to talk to anybody, we have to know how much he is worth.

“Let them bring all the girls and then, we will be prepared to negotiate.  I will allow them to come back to Nigeria or to be absorbed into the community. We have to be very careful; the concern we have for the Chibok girls, one only imagine if they got a daughter there between 14 and 18 years and for more than one and a half years, a lot of the parents who have died would rather see the graves of their daughters rather the condition they imagine they were in.

“This has drawn a lot of sympathy thoughout the world; that is why this government is getting very hard in negotiating and getting the balance of those who are alive.”

Buhari assured the Nigerians that his administration was doing everything to improve on the state of the economy through provision of infrastructure in critical areas.

Chibok Girls: Boko Haram demands release of bomb maker in custody - Buhari

Chibok Girls Still Alive - Intelligence Reports Reveal

•  Shekau, Daodu division takes its toll on Boko Haram 


• FG, DIA to unveil safe corridor for North-east

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

Intelligence reports have revealed that at least half of the Chibok girls are still alive but held in various secret locations in the North-east region of Nigeria and neighbouring countries of the Lake Chad region.

Chibok girls

This is coming as the division between the Abubakar Shekau-led faction of the Boko Haram sect and a splinter group led by Mahamat Daoud, who recently claimed to be the new leader of the group, has weakened the resolve of the terrorists to carry on with their mission for an Islamic Caliphate.

THISDAY was informed by an intelligence source who vouched that some, but not all, of the Chibok girls were alive.

The source revealed that military intelligence was aware that some the girls were still with the terrorists in different locations, while some had been married off and may never be found again.

“We will never find all the girls again as intelligence findings revealed some have died, and some married away, while the rest are still divided among the terror groups in different locations both within the North-east and some neighbouring countries,” the source said.

Speaking further, the top intelligence officer revealed that advanced military intelligence in the last couple of months has helped to track down, dislodge, downgrade and destroy terrorist cells or enclaves.

The source noted that the new service chiefs had adopted intelligence-led measures for the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations.

According to the officer, the noticeable cooperation between the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and Nigerian Army, which has yielded the desired success had much to do with coordinated and sophisticated military intelligence.

“The aerial bombardments are more precise and decisive, hitting the right targets deep inside the Sambisa Forest, while the ground troops move with the aide of accurate and water-tight intelligence reports.

“Apart from the increasing involvement and coordination of the fighting between the army and air force, there is a highly centralised and sophisticated coordination of defence intelligence,” the source said.

In addition, the officer said there are cracks in the Boko Haram camp since Daodu-led group broke ranks from the Shekau pro-Islamic State (ISIS) group, stating that the division was taking its toll on Boko Haram members and breaking their will to fight.

Military intelligence, he said, had discovered that the new group, which is favourably disposed to negotiations with the federal government, pulled away from the Shekau-led remnants when their former leader formed an alliance with ISIS.

“This was against their original plan. In fact, they got fed up with the way Shekau was going on with the terror campaign, especially the alliance with ISIS. So right now, there are two camps and they are no longer coordinated and active

“Also, as they are increasingly in disarray, the precise and effective bombings in Sambisa Forest and other locations are driving them towards the border areas,” the source added.

In a related development, the federal government is marshalling out a plan for the safe return and rehabilitation of millions of people displaced in the North-eastern part of the country by Boko Haram activities.

The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) driven programme tagged: ‘Safe Corridor’ which was to be unveiled yesterday by the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan, was postponed to yet-to- be decided date to make it a more inclusive programme for all stakeholders.

While apologising for the postponement of the programme, the Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence (DCDI), Maj-Gen. SD Aliyu, said it would be a massive project, which would now be handled at the presidential level.

According to Aliyu, the planned operation ‘Safe Corridor’, is an intelligence driven programme that targets the return and rehabilitation of those affected by the Boko Haram terrorist activities.

“So we have to postpone this to a later date because the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), all the governors of the affected states, other top dignitaries and stakeholders will be in attendance,” he said.

Chibok Girls Still Alive - Intelligence Reports Reveal

Jonathan’s govt frustrated effort to rescue Chibok girls – Ezekwesili

Former Minister of Education and Co-converner of the #BringBackOurGirls group, Obiageli Ezekwesili, on Thursday said that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was a terrible period in the rescue of the Chibok Girls.

Obiageli Ezekwesili on Al Jazeera

Ezekwesili said that the former president’s administration gave false information that demoralized the advocacy of the group and many Nigerians.

The former minister, who spoke on Kaakaki, a weekly programme on African Independent Television to mark 500 days since the girls were kidnapped from their Secondary school in Chibok, Borno state, added that the parents of the girls never got any information that was credible from the then government.

She said that the group rejoiced when former Chief of Defense Staff announced to Nigerians and the rest of the world that government knew where the girls were being held.

Information, she said, turned out to be ‘decorating information’ by the then government.

She said: “You recall that on May 26, 2014 the then Chief of Defense staff said that they had located the girls that the issue was that they needed strategic maneuver in other to rescue them alive.

“We were rejoicing on the day that that information was given. Subsequently other false information was given to us by the same government and that completely demoralized our advocacy because it suddenly seemed as if the desire was not really focused on credibly finding the girls.

“It was not just the BringBackOurGirls that was demoralized during that period. It was the whole world. The whole world could not understand how come the information concerning the girls just seemed to be massaged in all directions.

“At some point we did a mapping of the various information that was coming out of government. We said to ourselves that we were not going to be an anecdotal movement. We were going to simply keep a focus on monitoring the statements of government, the actions of government so that we could analytically say this is what the trend seems to suggest.

“I am saying to you with every sincere bone in me that it was a terrible period.”

She said that the group has renewed hope that the Chibok girls will be rescued since it met with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ezekwesili said that the 219 girls who answered the call to be educated will not be forgotten.

“219 young women who answered the call to be educated in other to improve their lot in life as well as enhance our own society cannot be abandoned by their nation and fellow citizen. That therefore keeps us hopeful. We are never going to stop hoping. They cannot be forgotten.

“We met with the president on July 8. During that engagement the president reiterated the point that he had in his inaugural address that rescuing the Chibok girls was of priority for the administration and that they would maximize their efforts at rescuing the girls.

“We see that as the constructive engagement that we desired with the government when this situation first arouse we see it now. That is constructive, that is based on a sense that government owes accountability to citizens,” she added.

Jonathan’s govt frustrated effort to rescue Chibok girls – Ezekwesili

Jonathan govt’s response to Chibok girls case unimpressive - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said the conflicting reports that emerged from the government and the security chiefs in the days shortly after the over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State, portrayed the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan in bad light locally and internationally.

Buhari spoke while granting audience to members of the BringBackOurGirls group.

The President said the government’s response to the incident was far from being impressive and unfortunate.

“We cannot rationalise the government’s incompetence in handling this issue,” he said.

Buhari reiterated the commitment of his government to mobilise and deal with the scourge of terrorism across the country.

He also insisted that members of the Boko Haram sect could not claim to be propagating Islam, saying they should think of changing their name to something else.

Jonathan govt’s response to Chibok girls case unimpressive - Buhari

Sambisa Forest: Rescued girls not Chibok Girls - Nigerian military

Girls rescued from Boko Haram terror camps in Sambisa Forest on Tuesday are “not the Chibok girls,” Nigerian Army spokesman Sani Usman said.

However, one official did not rule out that captives from other Boko Haram camps that were raided might include some of the 200 girls abducted in April 2014 from a school in Chibok.

Nigerian troops rescued 200 girls and 93 women Tuesday in the Sambisa Forest in the northeastern part of the country, the Nigerian Armed Forces announced on its official Twitter account. The forest is a stronghold for the militant Boko Haram group and is not far from Chibok.

Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said the rescued girls and women are still being screened and none has spoken to their families yet.

The 2014 mass abduction from Chibok led to an international social media movement, #BringBackOurGirls, to rescue them. Boko Haram, a militant Islamist group, has been kidnapping females for years and has hundreds in their custody.

The Tokumbere, Sassa and Tlafa terror camps were raided and destroyed, said a source close to the military. The Tokumbere camp is the most notorious, where the training of small children by Boko Haram is said to have occurred, the source said. Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the operation, but the military did not say how many.

In recent weeks, Nigerian troops and vigilantes moved into the Sambisa Forest. Last Wednesday the troops had to retreat because of explosive devices Boko Haram planted in the forest, according to military sources and a vigilante who was with the troops.

On Monday, troops re-entered the forest and on Tuesday afternoon they raided Boko Haram camps and rescued scores of girls and women.

“We stumbled on the girls and may find more,” Usman said.

Information about the fate of the kidnapped schoolgirls has been spotty and inconsistent, with some school officials giving conflicting figures for the number of girls who were abducted or escaped their captors.

“We have no idea where the Chibok girls are or were,” CNN correspondent Christian Purefoy said Tuesday.

Culled from CNN

Sambisa Forest: Rescued girls not Chibok Girls - Nigerian military

Finally, Nigerian soldiers rescue Chibok girls

Maiduguri — Nigerian troops, yesterday, stormed the Sambisa forest hideout of the Boko Haram terrorists, and rescued 200 girls and 93 women in a daring operation.

The Defence Headquarters in a statement, yesterday, confirmed the rescue operation but said it could not yet determine if some of the girls were Chibok schoolgirls abducted over a year ago from Chibok town in Borno State

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col S. K. Usman, in a statement said:

“This is to inform you that our gallant troops have been making progress in the desired aim of ridding the nation of terrorists and their sanctuaries.

“It is heartwarming to inform you that today (yesterday), troops continued the offensive and cleared four key terrorist camps in Sambisa forest, Borno State. So far, they have destroyed and cleared Sassa, Tokumbere and two other camps in the general area of Alafa, all within the Sambisa forest.

“The troops have also rescued 200 abducted girls and 93 women. They are presently being processed. Similarly, a number of equipment and weapons have been captured. We will send further details and photographs soon.”

Also confirming the operation, Director, Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, said he could not confirm the identity of the freed victims and their origins and he could not state if any of them was from Chibok until after thorough screening and proper investigations.

He said: “I can only confirm the rescue this afternoon (yesterday) of 200 girls and 93 women in different camps in the forest. We are yet to determine their origin as all the freed persons are now being screened and profiled. We will provide more details later.”

Boko Haram kills 22 in Borno

Meanwhile, no fewer than 22 people were killed by suspected Boko Haram members in Marguba community and surrounding villages of Beneshiekh, the headquarters of Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State.

The insurgents, according to sources, also injured many residents after setting ablaze several houses, mostly those with thatched roofs, before looting foodstuff and livestock.

Beneshiekh is north west and about 76 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital. It is located on the fringes of Sambisa forest along Maiduguri-Damaturu-Kano road which have witnessed series of deadly attacks by insurgents.

This development is coming barely 24 hours after a group of insurgents laid ambush on some returning residents, killing 21 in Bultaram village of Gujba council area of Borno State while attempting to return to their sacked village to evacuate their abandoned foodstuff and livestock.

Fleeing residents recount ordeal

Our correspondent reliably gathered from fleeing residents now taking refuge in Beneshiekh town that “the insurgents came from Sambisa forest axis and stormed the villages Monday evening, wreaked havoc as they had a field day without confrontation.

“Our communities have been ransacked by a group of terrorists numbering over 100 who came in over five Hilux vehicles, motorcycles armed with AK-47 rifles, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and local petrol bombs, killing 17 residents in Marguba community and other villages near Beneshiekh.

“I was among the lucky survivors who escaped the attacks with my wife and two kids, we are presently taking refuge in Beneshiekh.

“It is unfortunate that many people thought that with the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) at the March 28 presidential elections, things related to killings and destruction by the insurgents will end, but it appears that worse is still on the way as many communities were attacked by insurgents in the north-east after the elections.”

Contacted, the cell phone of the acting Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Asso Emmanuel was not reachable, but a member of the civilian JTF from Beneshiekh confirmed the incident, pointing out that 22 people were killed in desperate attacks in nearby villages of Beneshiekh.

He also claimed that the situation had been brought under control as troops with support from members of vigilante youth are currently combing the area to apprehend fleeing insurgents.

Chibok girls

It will be recalled that on April 15 2014, 276 female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, by Boko Haram terrorists. 57 of them however managed to escape while they were being conveyed to the forests and after some days in captivity.

On October 17 2014, hopes were raised that the 219 remaining girls might soon be released after the Nigerian army announced a truce between Boko Haram and government forces. The announcement coincided with the six-month anniversary of the girls’ capture and followed a month of negotiations mediated in Saudi Arabia by Chadian president, Idris Déby.

The truce turned out to be false as Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau claimed that the girls have been married out.

It will also be recalled that the National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah at several occasions stated that the truth about the whereabouts of the 200 girls of the Government Secondary School, Chibok will be made known when the attack to liberate Sambisa forest is carried out.

Before now several communities including Gwoza and Madagali where the girls were suspected to have been kept, were liberated and there were no signs of the girls with freed captives saying they don’t know the whereabouts of the girls.

Intelligence reports showed that all entry and exit points into the forest had been heavily laden with landmines and other dangerous explosives which newly acquired weaponry such as mines-sweeping armoured tanks have been clearing.

 

Finally, Nigerian soldiers rescue Chibok girls

Boko Haram regroups en masse in Sambisa

Boko Haram fighters have amassed in the group’s Sambisa Forest stronghold in northeast Nigeria, as a military offensive tries to flush them out, a civilian vigilante told AFP on Thursday.

But soldiers were forced to retreat because of the extensive use of landmines in the area, one of which exploded killing a soldier and three vigilantes.

“Boko Haram are in large numbers in Sambisa,” said the vigilante, who requested anonymity for security reasons as he was part of the operation.

“All their fighters who were pushed out of Bama, Dikwa, Gwoza and Damboa (in Borno state) all moved to Boko Haram camps in Sambisa,” he added.

Details of the offensive came as a series of photographs circulated on social media accounts linked to the Islamic State group of heavily armed fighters, purportedly from Boko Haram.

No independent verification was possible but some of the accounts said the images were released under the name “The Islamic State in West Africa”.

Boko Haram chief Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to IS group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in March. The Middle Eastern militants responded by urging Muslims to support the rebels in Nigeria.

A four-nation military operation launched in February involving Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon has recaptured swathes of territory previously held by Boko Haram in three northeast states.

Last week, Nigeria’s national security advisor Sambo Dasuki said troops would storm the vast Sambisa Forest by the handover of power to incoming president Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.

It has been claimed that the 219 schoolgirls kidnapped last April from the town of Chibok 80 kilometres (50 miles) away were being held in the area.

Others have said they may have been split up and could be in Cameroon, Chad or elsewhere in northern Nigeria.

– ‘Defying obstacles’ –

On Wednesday, the military said an offensive was under way “in some forest locations”, claiming to have killed a senior commander as well as a number of militants who attacked a patrol.

“The operations especially in forest locations are progressing in defiance of obstacles and landmines emplaced by the terrorists,” defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said in a statement.

But the vigilante said progress over the last three days had been severely hindered.

“Boko Haram have buried landmines all over the routes leading to their camps in the forest, which is no doubt a huge obstacle retarding the military offensive against them,” he said.

Troops were forced to turn back just five kilometres (three miles) from Boko Haram’s main camp because of landmines.

One soldier and three vigilantes were killed when their vehicle hit a mine, he said.

“There are no soldiers in Sambisa right now. We all returned to Bama after the horrifying experience of manoeuvring through minefields,” he added.

Boko Haram regroups en masse in Sambisa

Why Chibok Girls Were Kidnapped, BBOG Was Formed - Doyin Okupe

By Ehi Ekhator, Naija Center News

Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Mr. Doyin Okupe has said that President’s failure to secure second term was a grand conspiracy from the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, international conspiracy to BBOG secret mission.

Okupe advised Nigerians to dialogue with the incoming administration to employ a different approach in finding the missing girls.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Saturday, Mr. Doyin said “One of the reasons the chibok girls were kidnapped was to present Jonathan’s administration as incompetent and hold it to ransom against 2015 elections.

“One of the reasons the BBOG was formed was to sustain and internationalise the embarrassment.

“One of the reasons President Jonathan lost the election was a national and international conspiracy predicated on this carefully choreographed and assiduously sustained perception.

“One of the issues that will be in the hand over notes will be the missing girls.

“What is reasonable and expedient for well meaning men and women of good conscience is to dialogue with the incoming administration on what best new approach to employ to find and rescue the chibok girls.

“Not much can be achieved, except mischief, by continuing to flog this administration on this matter.”

Why Chibok Girls Were Kidnapped, BBOG Was Formed - Doyin Okupe

Boko Haram: Nigerian military will liberate Sambisa forest before Buhari takes power - NSA

The Nigerian military will reclaim the expansive Sambisa forest reserve which has become a notorious Boko Haram stronghold, before President Goodluck Jonathan hands over power in less than two months, National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki said Tuesday.

Mr. Jonathan will on May 29 surrender power after losing the March 28 presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari.

After widespread criticisms over its inability to contain Boko Haram, the Nigerian military in the last few months has retaken several territories occupied by the group, dislodging the militants from key towns like Baga, Bama and Gwoza.

Mr. Dasuki, speaking to PRNigeria, a media organisation that distributes press statements of Nigeria’s security agencies, said Sambisa forest, the most notable territory still controlled by Boko Haram, would have since been liberated but for the unfavourable weather condition prevailing in the area. He said the terrain has been studied and troops to be deployed were ready.

“Right now, all Boko Haram camps, except Sambisa Forest have been destroyed,” Mr. Dasuki said.

“Every movement of the terrorists is being monitored and every necessary detail is being taken care of to rid the country of the last bastion of terrorists’ infestation,” he said.

Chibok girls

One year after over 200 girls were kidnaped by Boko Haram from their school in Chibok, Borno State, Mr. Dasuki said the federal government was making effort to ensure that the girls are rescued from insurgents.

He spoke about the concern of Nigeria’s government and that of every Nigerian citizen over the girls’ welfare. Mr. Dasuki urged Nigerians to be patient as the military completes the routing of terrorists.

He commended Mr. Jonathan over the successful conduct of the 2015 general elections.

“President Jonathan had already given his words to all the security and service chiefs before the election that he would abide by the decision of Nigerians. At the meeting, he also told them to perform their duties professionally during the polls.

“While we anticipated that he would congratulate his opponent if the result is announced in favour of opposition candidate, he gratuitously without prompting of anyone conceded defeat to the surprise of all.

“By that singular gesture he had saved the security agencies and the nation of unnecessary tension and stress in maintaining law and order and curtailing excesses of likely protesters,” he said.

Boko Haram: Nigerian military will liberate Sambisa forest before Buhari takes power - NSA

Bring Back Our Girls: Shekarau, Onwuliri Shun Protesters

The Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Viola Onwuliri on Tuesday shunned school girls protesting the inability of the government to rescue the 219 Chibok schoolgirls one year after they were abducted from their school in Borno state.

THISDAY gathered that the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group had formally notified the ministry of its plans to bring the schoolgirls to meet with the ministers as part of activities to mark the anniversary of the abduction which drew local and international outrage.

The secondary schoolgirls and some primary schoolgirls drawn from different schools across the Federal Capital Territory marched from the Unity Fountain to the Federal Ministry of Education. They bore placards bearing the names of each of the missing school girls.

The Chairman of the Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu walked with the BBOG leaders, alongside some human rights activists. Former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, who is one of prominent leaders of BBOG group was conspicuously absent.

Officers of the Nigeria Police and Federal Road Safety Commission were on ground to ensure security and orderliness.

The Ministers were away from the Ministry when the girls arrived there at 11.30am Tuesday morning. It was obvious that there were no plans to receive them as the gate was locked to keep them out for over 25 minutes.

A visibly ruffled Director, who identified herself as Director of Planning, Mrs. Olutoun later came out and tried to address the girls through the gates.

This drew the ire of Odinkalu who insisted that the gates cannot be shut against the students as they were Nigerian citizens. The leader of girls, Miss Maryam Ahmed also insisted they would not speak from outside the gates.

As the gates were opened, the Director of Human Resources, Mr. Mohammed Bello, who also introduced himself as the Acting Permanent Secretary received the protesters.

Fielding questions from the girls, Bello gave the assurance that the government was doing its best through the security agencies to ensure that girls are rescued and returned safely to their parents.

“We are concerned with anything that has to do with girls’ education, we are with you and will give you all the necessary support to ensure that the girls are found…if you have been following the happenings in that last three weeks, you will know that sooner than later, we will get the girls back,” he said.

Bello recalled that almost all the schools in the North East region had to be shut down at some point, while the government relocated students to safer areas.

Odinkalu, who noted that he was there as a parent, urged Nigerians to keep hope alive for the missing girls, as there is no evidence that they are dead.

He however berated the officials of the Education Ministry for the shoddy manner in which the protesting students were received.

“This is an anniversary that no parent would wish for, not even for enemies. When we came, we were locked out and people were afraid to see us. This is the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is this country that unites us. The girls were abducted because they choose to write the exam in a certain part of the country. The only reason my child was not abducted was because he took the exam in another part of the country,” he said.

“Nigeria is changing, it is important for public officers to live up to their responsibilities. It is utterly offensive for public officers to lock us out of this building. We pay for this building. The next time we come here, receive us as Nigerians, receive these children as your children, because one day you would leave this office and you will reap what you have sown, the seed of irresponsibility. Never again should any child have to go through what these children are going through,or what their parents are going through,” Odinkalu added.

Bring Back Our Girls: Shekarau, Onwuliri Shun Protesters