E.E.R: Chibok Girls Location : Nigeria , U.S Intelligence Differ On Girls’ Location

US DRONE TO BE USED

Chibok: Presidency, U.S Differ On Girls’ Location

The mystery over the whereabouts of over 200 girls abducted from a secondary in Chibok, Borno state may still be looming, as the position of the Nigerian government conflicts with that of the United States and the United Nations.

At the weekend, the Defence Headquarters faulted the report of Amnesty International (AI) alleging that the military authority was informed of the impending attack, describing it as very unfortunate and untrue.

Whereas the U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, who serves as Pentagon press secretary, was quoted on a CNN report that the girls may have been split into various locations across the Nigerian borders, the Presidency have maintained that they are still within the confines of Sambisa forest.

According Kirby, the US officials believe the girls “have been broken up into smaller groups” in statement CNN said was devoid of details on how they arrived at that.

Kirby’s view point has been shared by former UK prime minister and the U.N.’s special envoy for global education Gordon Brown, who said, “The search must be in Niger, Cameroon and Chad, to see if we can find information”.

But President Jonathan, however, believes the girls are still in Nigeria, somewhere in the Sambisa forest, saying, “If they move that number of girls into Cameroon, people will see. So I believe they are still in Nigeria.”

Director, Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, in a statement late Friday night noted that in as much as the Nigerian military appreciates the global concern and show of solidarity with the country at this trying moments, falsehood should not be introduced as a means of assessing the situation.

He said, “It has to be categorically stated that the claims by Amnesty International in its report that security forces had advance warning about the abduction of students of Government Secondary School Chibok, Borno State by terrorists is unfounded.”

He said that contrary to the organisation’s claims, troops in Maiduguri did not receive four hours forewarning about the attacks.

“Rather, they received information of an ongoing attack on Chibok community from troops on patrol who on noting the attack engaged the terrorists and called for more reinforcement to contain them”

Meanwhile, some residents in the state have expressed discordant tunes over the rescuing mission by the foreign experts.

Apart from those who view the foreign assistance to Borno in particular as a ploy by the Federal Government to further reduce the population of the youths in the zone by way of massive killing of them, some also described it as a shame on the part of government for its inability to contain the Boko Haram terror without seeking for security assistance from the interventional community.

A Maiduguri base legal practitioner, Barrister A. Bulama disagreed totally with the foreign intervention to rescue the missing school girls, saying that it is a big shame that a big country like Nigeria is seeking for foreign assistance to enable it cripple the wings of a sect that has held the country hostage for over four years now.

“It baffles me a lot that the Nigeria security cannot put an end to the reign of Boko Haram terror in Nigeria for over four years now. So, does it means that, if the foreign soldiers refuse to render assistance, the chances of those abducted girls regaining their freedom will be dashed?

“I am sure that, in this year’s budget, defence has the highest amount. Then, the question now is, what is it that our security operatives cannot contain small group like Boko Haram. To me it is a shame for Boko Haram to overrun our security to the extent of looking for help from the international community”, Bulama reiterated.

Also, a top government official in the state, who does not want his name in print, said the security assistance that the US government and other world powers have decided to give to Nigeria government is well appreciated and it may be the end of terror group in the country.

“We are very happy for their coming because they have noticed with dismay the security challenges Nigeria is passing through, especially with the abduction of these girls. I believe that after rescuing those missing girls, the foreign troops may still have to stay behind to ensure the total eradication of the terror group from Nigeria” he said.

Even so, Sunday Independent gathered that Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism in the sub-region would top the agenda for discussions at the next ECOWAS security meeting, billed to hold in Accra, Ghana.

According to the Chairman, ECOWAS Heads of State and Government and Ghanaian President Mahama, ECOWAS leaders had decided to invoke the community’s protocols on counter-terrorism to facilitate efforts to rescue the abducted girls.

President Mahama disclosed that a meeting of Heads of Intelligence Services of ECOWAS member-countries would hold in Accra, Ghana, to work out a new framework for intelligence sharing in support of the effort to eradicate the threat of terrorism in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region.

But as reactions continue to trail the declaration by the Amnesty International (AI) that the Military had four hours prior notice before the abduction of the 234 school girls in Chibok, the Federal Government has described the allegations as incomprehensible just as it declared that it would investigate the allegations.

A top government official who spoke to Sunday Independent on the condition of anonymity said, “It is idiotic and incomprehensible for anybody to day that the military had a prior information before the abduction of the girls and failed to do anything. But I can assure you that the Federal Government would definitely get to the bottom of this, it would be properly investigated. This is all I can tell you.

Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Dr Chidi Anselem Odinkalu on his part faulted the story from the Amnesty International, saying it was not in the best interest of the search of the girls.

“That is silly navel gazing. In my view, the recent reporting on Nigeria by AI falls well short of the standards of rigour and responsibility that we’ve become accustomed to expect from it. It looks like the overriding imperative is to get its name in the news rather help in the search for these kids. I hope that makes them happy”, he said.

Daily Independent.

The mystery over the whereabouts of over 200 girls abducted from a secondary in Chibok, Borno state may still be looming, as the position of the Nigerian government conflicts with that of the United States and the United Nations.

At the weekend, the Defence Headquarters faulted the report of Amnesty International (AI) alleging that the military authority was informed of the impending attack, describing it as very unfortunate and untrue.

Whereas the U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, who serves as Pentagon press secretary, was quoted on a CNN report that the girls may have been split into various locations across the Nigerian borders, the Presidency have maintained that they are still within the confines of Sambisa forest.

According Kirby, the US officials believe the girls “have been broken up into smaller groups” in statement CNN said was devoid of details on how they arrived at that.

Kirby’s view point has been shared by former UK prime minister and the U.N.’s special envoy for global education Gordon Brown, who said, “The search must be in Niger, Cameroon and Chad, to see if we can find information”.

But President Jonathan, however, believes the girls are still in Nigeria, somewhere in the Sambisa forest, saying, “If they move that number of girls into Cameroon, people will see. So I believe they are still in Nigeria.”

Director, Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, in a statement late Friday night noted that in as much as the Nigerian military appreciates the global concern and show of solidarity with the country at this trying moments, falsehood should not be introduced as a means of assessing the situation.

He said, “It has to be categorically stated that the claims by Amnesty International in its report that security forces had advance warning about the abduction of students of Government Secondary School Chibok, Borno State by terrorists is unfounded.”

He said that contrary to the organisation’s claims, troops in Maiduguri did not receive four hours forewarning about the attacks.

“Rather, they received information of an ongoing attack on Chibok community from troops on patrol who on noting the attack engaged the terrorists and called for more reinforcement to contain them”

Meanwhile, some residents in the state have expressed discordant tunes over the rescuing mission by the foreign experts.

Apart from those who view the foreign assistance to Borno in particular as a ploy by the Federal Government to further reduce the population of the youths in the zone by way of massive killing of them, some also described it as a shame on the part of government for its inability to contain the Boko Haram terror without seeking for security assistance from the interventional community.

A Maiduguri base legal practitioner, Barrister A. Bulama disagreed totally with the foreign intervention to rescue the missing school girls, saying that it is a big shame that a big country like Nigeria is seeking for foreign assistance to enable it cripple the wings of a sect that has held the country hostage for over four years now.

“It baffles me a lot that the Nigeria security cannot put an end to the reign of Boko Haram terror in Nigeria for over four years now. So, does it means that, if the foreign soldiers refuse to render assistance, the chances of those abducted girls regaining their freedom will be dashed?

“I am sure that, in this year’s budget, defence has the highest amount. Then, the question now is, what is it that our security operatives cannot contain small group like Boko Haram. To me it is a shame for Boko Haram to overrun our security to the extent of looking for help from the international community”, Bulama reiterated.

Also, a top government official in the state, who does not want his name in print, said the security assistance that the US government and other world powers have decided to give to Nigeria government is well appreciated and it may be the end of terror group in the country.

“We are very happy for their coming because they have noticed with dismay the security challenges Nigeria is passing through, especially with the abduction of these girls. I believe that after rescuing those missing girls, the foreign troops may still have to stay behind to ensure the total eradication of the terror group from Nigeria” he said.

Even so, Sunday Independent gathered that Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism in the sub-region would top the agenda for discussions at the next ECOWAS security meeting, billed to hold in Accra, Ghana.

According to the Chairman, ECOWAS Heads of State and Government and Ghanaian President Mahama, ECOWAS leaders had decided to invoke the community’s protocols on counter-terrorism to facilitate efforts to rescue the abducted girls.

President Mahama disclosed that a meeting of Heads of Intelligence Services of ECOWAS member-countries would hold in Accra, Ghana, to work out a new framework for intelligence sharing in support of the effort to eradicate the threat of terrorism in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region.

But as reactions continue to trail the declaration by the Amnesty International (AI) that the Military had four hours prior notice before the abduction of the 234 school girls in Chibok, the Federal Government has described the allegations as incomprehensible just as it declared that it would investigate the allegations.

A top government official who spoke to Sunday Independent on the condition of anonymity said, “It is idiotic and incomprehensible for anybody to day that the military had a prior information before the abduction of the girls and failed to do anything. But I can assure you that the Federal Government would definitely get to the bottom of this, it would be properly investigated. This is all I can tell you.

Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Dr Chidi Anselem Odinkalu on his part faulted the story from the Amnesty International, saying it was not in the best interest of the search of the girls.

“That is silly navel gazing. In my view, the recent reporting on Nigeria by AI falls well short of the standards of rigour and responsibility that we’ve become accustomed to expect from it. It looks like the overriding imperative is to get its name in the news rather help in the search for these kids. I hope that makes them happy”, he said.