The Nation Newspaper

Tag: boko haram

  • Melete attack: Army threatens legal action over circulation of Boko Haram attack videos

    The Nigerian Army on Saturday warns against circulation of what it calls fake video footage released by Boko Haram insurgents’ purported attack on a military base at Metele, Borno.

    The army in a Facebook post expressed concern over indiscriminate circulation of series of fake video footage on social media platforms, an action which creates fear and unrest in the society.

    It dismissed the videos as ‘false’, explaining that they  do not portray the situation on ground, stressing that such videos served the purpose intended by the insurgents to misinform; spread panic, hatred, religious intolerance and undermine national security.

    “The Nigeria Army has continued to observe with great dismay the myriads of photos and video clips being recklessly distributed on various social media platforms by different caliber of persons.

    “It is indeed shocking to see how these well doctored propaganda materials from enemies of the state succeeded in creating fear and unrest in the polity.

    “These doctored materials are obviously serving the purposes intended by the terrorists to misinform the populace; spread panic, hatred, religious intolerance and undermine national security.

    “The Nigeria Army wants to categorically state that the videos and images making rounds as the purported attack on Metele base are false and do not in any way portray the reality of the situation on the ground,” it said.

    The Nigerian Army headquarters lamented that many do not know that in discretionary posts and comments from a citizen that is supposed to be solidly behind its military in trying times could dampen troops’ morale.

    The Army reiterated its commitments to the protection of the nation’s territorial integrity, maintaining that the sanctity of the Nigerian state would not be undermined by detractors or tacit supporters of the enemies.

    It warned that it would not condone act of spreading fake news as it violate the provisions of the cyber crime laws.

    “While appreciating the concerns of well meaning Nigerians, who genuinely care for the well being of military personnel, the Nigerian Army wants to draw the attention of its detractors to the fact that spreading fake news is an offense and violation of Section 24 (1) (a & b); and (2) (a), (b), (c), (i), (ii) of the Cyber-crimes Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2015.

    “In view of this, please note that the Nigeria Army, henceforth, report the infractions and file case against individuals or groups who deliberately spread fake news that aim to undermine national security in courts of competent jurisdictions.

    “Equally; the Nigeria Army wishes to inform the public of its iReport channels on the NA website, android and iOS platforms through which members of the public can forward meaningful advice, criticism or observations that would enable it to better serve the good people of Nigeria”. (NAN)

  • Metele attack: Surviving soldiers accuse military authorities of procuring obsolete weapons

    Some soldiers who survived the attack by Boko Haram on the military formation in Metele have sent an SOS to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to probe the quality of weapons procured by the military authorities and save them from further avoidable deaths.

    In a video sent to journalists  in Maiduguri, the soldiers accused the military authorities of providing  them with obsolete weapons, which they said are grossly inadequate  to effectively confront the insurgents in the ongoing counter insurgency campaign in the Northeast.

    In the  amateur video footage, the soldiers also  levelled allegations against the military authorities accusing them of negligence which resulted into the death of scores of their colleagues  in a  series of  attacks coordinated by the Albarnawi faction of the Boko Haram at Metele in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno.

    Foreign wire agencies reported that dozens of soldiers were killed when the insurgents attacked Metele military base on November 18.

    In the video, two soldiers, who claimed to be among the survivors of the attack, narrated the precarious condition of the troops and obsolete equipment which made it difficult for them to repel the insurgents’ attack.

    The video footage showed the level of destruction of military equipment and makeshift shelters,  while soldiers were seen packing their luggages, apparently preparing to live the camp.

    In the video, the soldiers appealed to President Buhari—they repeatedly appealed to him— to intervene to save the situation from deteriorating.

    “See what the Nigerian Army has been doing to us, they brought us here.  See how they killed our fellow soldiers, they burn them inside the tanks”, a narrator in the video said.

    “They are using us to make money; why? Are we not human beings? They can kill soldiers inside a tank; if Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) can penetrate M-RAG vehicle, what of a fellow human being?

    “This is the location called ‘Metele’, This is a place they (the insurgents) took over 40 barrel and these people want to use us, and within one week they killed over 200 soldiers and we are now 147, they want to waste us here. It is a lie, our blood is not here.

    “This is a Third World vehicle, a tank manufactured in 1972; and Albarnawi broke all of it.They want to use us and we are not getting anything from them.We  want to tell the government of our condition.

    “Please; the Federal Government should intervene before the insurgents come and kill us. They mocked us and said we are Zombies; animals, we do not know our rights, any order given to us we will follow.

    “We are millennium soldiers, most of us are graduates.

    “Look at what they did to this T12 tank; it is obsolete. It was a 1983 Czechoslovakian  tank procured during Shagari’s regime. Is this the money the Federal Government provided to procure weapons?

    “All the equipment are not working. When it fired two shots it stopped. All the weapons are obsolete and bought during Shagari(1979-1983).

    “We know about the money the Federal Government gave to them but the Nigerian Army had turned us into a business”.

    “All the money federal government gave them to buy weapons… Nigerian Army is buying INNOSON…. All these are obsolete… Oyinbo came here and said they are obsolete. All these weapons were bought during the Shagari regime in 1983… They have turned us to business…. Federal Government you will hear about it….

    “All these weapons are not genuine…if you fire two times you have stoppages. This is 1983 when Shagari was head of state… Federal Government give them money, they go and buy INNOSON, Nigerian made… Federal Government please help us. Help us.”

    The  Nigeria Army on Friday,  confirmed on its Twitter handle  the attack on 157 Task Force Battalion at Metele, on November 18 by Boko Haram insurgents.

    However, the military authorities response, which came five days after, was short on details and the extent of casualties.

    The army said that it has laid down procedures for reporting incidents that involve its personnel who become casualties in action, as a form of  respect to the families of the gallant troops.

    It noted that the families were first to be notified before any form of public information so as to avoid exacerbating their grief were they to discover it from unofficial sources.

    “It is suffice to observe that several social media, print and online publications have been brandishing false casualty figures as well as circulating various footages of old and inaccurate Boko Haram terrorists’ propaganda videos, and alluding it to be the attack on 157 Task Force Battalion.

    “While; it is understandable how such misinformation can spread in this era of social media frenzy, the spurious circulation of some of these videos only contribute to further propagate the propaganda intent of the terrorists, misinform the populace and portray themselves as what they are not?

    “So far, the situation in the location is under control as reinforcing units had been able to repel the terrorists and stabilize the situation.

    In his reaction, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed deep shock over the killing of military personnel in Metele village  by Boko Haram terrorists.

    He gave an  assurance that immediate measures are being taken to ensure that the loopholes which led to the fatalities are blocked once and for all.

    Reacting to the tragic incident, the President said that his administration remains ever committed and focused on the security of military personnel and other citizens.

    According to President Buhari, “No responsible Commander-in-Chief would rest on his oars or fold his hands to allow terrorists to endanger the lives of its military personnel and other citizens. Our loyal forces have proved their strength over the terrorists and we are ready to give them all the needed support in terms of equipment and manpower to succeed in ending the renewed threat. In the coming days, I am engaging the Military and Intelligence Chiefs in extensive discussions on the next steps we shall be taking.”

    The President noted that fighting terrorism has taken a global dimension, which necessitates international collaboration among states facing similar security challenges.

    President Buhari reassured Nigerians of his continued commitment to their security and of his efforts to sustain the momentum in the previous significant successes recorded against the terrorists.

    He, however, advised Nigerians against making a political capital out of national tragedy, stressing that members of the armed forces are one family who are commonly committed to the security and safety of all Nigerians.

    (NAN)

  • Melete attack: Buhari condemns killing of soldiers

    says Nigeria will conquer Boko Haram insurgency

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed deep shock over the killing of military personnel in Metele village of Borno by Boko Haram terrorists, saying his administration remains committed to the security of military personnel and other citizens.

    The president stated this in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu in Abuja on Saturday.

    Buhari, who was reacting to the tragic incident, assured that immediate measures had been taken to ensure that “the loopholes which led to the fatalities were blocked, once and for all.’’

    He said: “No responsible Commander-in-Chief would rest on his oars or fold his hands to allow terrorists to endanger the lives of military personnel and other citizens.

    “Our loyal forces have proved their strength over the terrorists and we are ready to give them all the needed support, in terms of equipment and manpower, to succeed in ending the renewed threat.

    “In the coming days, I am engaging the military and Intelligence Chiefs in extensive discussions on the next steps we shall be taking.”

    The President noted that fighting terrorism had taken a global dimension which necessitated international collaboration among states facing similar security challenges.

    He, therefore, reassured Nigerians of his continued commitment to their security and of his efforts to sustain the momentum in the previous significant successes recorded against the terrorists.

    The president, however, advised Nigerians against making a political capital out of the national tragedy, stressing that “members of the armed forces are one family, commonly committed to the security and safety of all Nigerians.’’(NAN)

  • Boko Haram attacks on troops: Buhari summons service chiefs

    Worried by Boko Haram’s renewed attacks on military bases in the North-East, President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned all the Service Chiefs for a review session.

    The President has also sent the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen Mansur Dan Ali (rtd), to the neighbouring Republic of Chad for an urgent meeting with President Idris Deby and his defence counterpart.

    It was also learnt that the deterioration in the security situation on the Nigeria-Chad border has led to recent increase in the activities of Boko Haram in the area.

    At press time, the Federal Government was establishing contacts with the families of the victim soldiers.

    Read also: PDP laments, tasks Buhari on Boko Haram killing of Nigerian soldiers

    A reliable source said: “The President has called for an urgent meeting with the Service Chiefs.

    “Also, the families of the latest victims of Boko Haram are being identified and contacts made before a government pronouncement on the tragic attacks.

    “This, it is understood, is the reason for the silence of the government over the incident.”

    One of diplomatic sources in Abuja, who did not want to be named, said: “Nigeria has a Chad problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) put together to secure the Lake Chad basin areas and repel the Boko Haram terrorism attacks against all the countries neighbouring the Lake.

    “Chad is believed to be having its own internal security challenges and these have reportedly led to their pulling away their own troops manning their own border around Lake Chad.

    “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts.

    “This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.”

    When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said he was “aware that the Defence Minister is going to Chad but unaware of his mission there.”

    A top military source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Most of the attacks were actually coming from Chad flank of the war against the insurgents.

    “The insurgents take advantage of sudden withdrawal of Chadian troops for some assignments without adequate communication.

    “We are however doing our best to address the coordination gaps. We will soon rout out these rampaging insurgents.”

  • Buhari summons service chiefs over Metele attack

    President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned Service Chiefs to an emergency security meeting over the reported killing of some Nigerian soldiers by Boko Haram sect along the Nigeria-Chad border on Sunday.

    The urgent meeting was necessitated by the latest security developments across the battle fields in the North East region of the country.

    A reliable source, who preferred not to be named, confirmed this development to NAN in Abuja on Friday.

    NAN learnt that Federal Government pronouncement on the latest victims of Boko Haram insurgency was being delayed because families of the victims were being identified and contacted.

    “The President has called an urgent meeting with the Service Chiefs.

    “And the families of the latest victims of the Boko Haram are being identified and contacts made before a government pronouncement on the tragic attacks.

    “This, it is understood is the reason for the silence of the government over the incident,’’ the source added.

    Read also: Metele attack: Army evacuates bodies of dead soldiers

    According to some reports, no fewer than 44 soldiers were killed during the attacks, which occurred at Metele, a remote village bordering Nigeria and Chad. The village is located in Guzamala LG area of Borno state.

    The Nigerian Army broke its silence on the attack on Friday night.

    Though it confirmed the attack, which it described as “an unfortunate event”, it decried the misinformation being circulated about the attack.

    ” It is important for the public to note that the NA has laid down procedures for reporting incidents that involve its personnel who fall casualty in action. Out of respect for the families of our gallant troops, the NOKs(Next of Kins) are first notified before any form of public information so as to avoid exacerbating the grief family members would bear, were they to discover such from unofficial sources.

    “Furthermore, it suffices to observe that several social media, print and online publications have been brandishing false casualty figures as well as circulating various footages of old and inaccurate BHT propaganda videos and alluding same to be the attack on 157 Task Force Battalion.

    “Whilst it is understandable how such misinformation can spread in this era of social media frenzy, the spurious circulation of some of these videos only contribute to further propagate the propaganda intent of the terrorists; to misinform the populace and portray themselves as what they are not. So far, the situation is that the location is under control as reinforcing units have been able to repel the terrorists and stabilise the situation.

    “The NA sincerely, wishes to thank the various arms of government, MDAs and sister security agencies that have stood with her in these trying times; by commiserating with the families of the fallen heroes who have paid the supreme price for the defence of our dearly beloved country. The necessary support being given the NA by the Federal Government and the goodwill of the Nigerian populace will undoubtedly continue to spur the NA towards the ultimate defeat of the highly degraded BHTs.”

    President Buhari had earlier dispatched the Minister of Defence, retired Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali, to Chad for an emergency meeting with the Chadian President, Idris Deby, on the deterioration of security at the Nigeria-Chad border.

    Dan-Ali had on Thursday briefed President Buhari on security development across the country including the recent killings of some Nigerian soldiers by the Islamic West Africa Province, a breakaway Boko Haram sect, operating along Nigeria-Chad border.

    According to military sources, the Minister of Defence would also be meeting his Chadian counterpart during his mission to Chad, to identify what had led to the recent increase in Boko Haram terrorism in the area.

    Also read: Update: Army confirms Boko Haram Melete attack

    The sources, who preferred not to be named, said: “Nigeria has a Chad problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which was put together to secure the Lake Chad Basin area and repeal the Boko Haram terrorism attacks against all the countries neighbouring the lake.’’

    According to the sources, Chad is believed to have its own internal security challenges and this has reportedly led to their pulling away the troops manning their own border around Lake Chad.

    “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists, who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts.

    “This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders,” the sources added.

    When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said he was aware that the Defence Minister would be going to Chad, adding “I’m unaware of his mission there.’’

    (NAN)

  • Update: Army confirms Boko Haram Melete attack

    The Nigerian Army has confirmed Boko Haram insurgents attack against military formations in Metele village in Guzamala Local Government Area of North Borno State.

    Boko Haram insurgents had on 18 November 2018 carried out a daring attack against the men of 157 Battalion men of the Nigerian Army.

    The Army command confirmed the attack in a statement posted on it official facebook page and verified twitter handle.

    According to the Statement, the Army said it was true that there was an attack on the location.

    The statement read “The attention of the NA has been drawn to several social media, print, electronic and online publications about the recent attack on 157 Task Force Battalion at Metele. Whilst it is true that there was an attack on the location on 18 November 2018, it has however, become necessary to correct several misinformation being circulated with regards to this unfortunate event”.

    Read also: Metele attack: Army evacuates bodies of dead soldiers

    “It is important for the public to note that the NA has laid down procedures for reporting incidents that involve its personnel who fall casualty in action. Out of respect for the families of our gallant troops, the NOKs are first notified before any form of public information so as to avoid exacerbating the grief family members would bear, were they to discover such from unofficial sources”.

    “Furthermore, it suffices to observe that several social media, print and online publications have been brandishing false casualty figures as well as circulating various footages of old and inaccurate BHT propaganda videos and alluding same to be the attack on 157 Task Force Battalion. Whilst it is understandable how such misinformation can spread in this era of social media frenzy, the spurious circulation of some of these videos only contribute to further propagate the propaganda intent of the terrorists; to misinform the populace and portray themselves as what they are not. So far, the situation is that the location is under control as reinforcing units have been able to repel the terrorists and stabilize the situation”.

    “The NA sincerely, wishes to thank the various arms of government, MDAs and sister security agencies that have stood with her in these trying times; by commiserating with the families of the fallen heroes who have paid the supreme price for the defence of our dearly beloved country. The necessary support being given the NA by the Federal Government and the goodwill of the Nigerian populace will undoubtedly continue to spur the NA towards the ultimate defeat of the highly degraded BHTs”.

  • Metele attack: Army evacuates bodies of dead soldiers

    The Army command in Maiduguri have evacuated bodies of soldiers killed by Boko Haram insurgents on Sunday at Metele village in Guzamala Local Government Area of North Borno State, The Nation has learnt.

    A military source who spoke to the The Nation on condition of anonymity disclosed that over seventy dead soldiers have been evacuated to Maiduguri by the military after the Theatre Commander Operation Lafiya Dole and the GOC, 7 Div on Friday went to Monguno to strategised and recover bodies of the slain soldiers.

    The source further said more than one hundred soldiers were feared dead in the Metele attack.

    The Nation also gathered that the first rescue and evacuation team was foiled after Boko Haram launched an attack that forced them into abandoning the mission.

    “As of today, the bodies of some of the dead soldiers have been evacuated and brought to Maiduguri. More than seventy dead bodies have been brought. But I am sure many may not have been recovered. I am not sure but the soldiers that died in that attack will be more than one hundred” he said.

    A soldier that escaped the attack and doesn’t want his name in print said an advanced team of the insurgents came into the based as friendly forces and went into the office of the commander where they fired at him and five other soldiers that were with him in his office.

    According to the source, the troops got confused after hearing sound of gunshots from their commander’s office.

    Read also: Anger in Senate over troops death in Boko Haram attack

    He said, “We saw some people dressed in full military uniform came into our camp but we thought they were friendly forces. They went straight to the office of our commander. Within a short time, there were gunshots in the office. we got confused waiting for orders but it was too late. Boko Haram had already surrendered us. They killed the commander with five other soldiers that were with him in the office. Before we knew what was going on, there was heavy gunfire from Boko Haram from all sides of the camp with more fire at the entrance. One of our anti–bomb vehicle tried to charge through the barbwire but got hook. It was a terrible fight oga, (sic). We couldn’t do much because they had a large number and their firepower was more superior than ours”.

    The Nation further checks also revealed that Boko Haram in September of this year sacked six military formations from that axis with each of them coming with a heavy casualties on the side of the Nigerian troops.

    It would be recalled that Nigerian troops in Metele suffered similar attacks in September this year where about 18 Nigerian soldiers were killed while another over 151 soldiers and six officers were declared missing in the same area in another devastating attack on the 157 Battalion on October 8, 2018.

    The official figures released by the military where seven soldiers killed and sixteen injured. They claimed to have killed at least 76 Boko Haram fighters in Metele as at then.

    Effort by  The Nation to get Army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Chukwu Texas to react to this report were unsuccessful as as calls and text messages to his known numbers where not answered to.

  • Insecurity: Buhari orders Defence Minister to parley with Chad

    President Muhammadu Buhari has dispatched the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali to Chad  for an urgent meeting with President Idris Deby and his defence counterpart on the deterioration of security situation on the Nigeria–Chad border.
    The insecurity situation has led to the recently increased Boko Haram terrorism in the area.
    This was disclosed by reliable sources on condition of anonymity in Abuja.
    One of the sources said “Nigeria has a Chad  problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF put together to secure the Lake Chad basin areas and repel the Boko Haram terrorism attacks against all the countries neighbouring the Lake.”
    Stressing that Chad is believed to be having its own internal security challenges, he said that it has reportedly led to the country pulling away it’s own troops manning their own boarder around Lake Chad.

    Read Also: Boko Haram: Navy deploys more boats in Lake Chad

    “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists, who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts. This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.” he said
    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu said he is aware that the Defence Minister is going to Chad.
    But that he was not aware of his mission to Chad.

  • ‘Buhari deserves a second term’

    Alhaji Bello Dantani, a lawmaker representing Argungu/Augie in Kebbi state at the House of Representatives, says President Muhammadu Buhari deserves a second term following his numerous achievements in office.

    Dantani made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, in Birni-Kebbi, on Friday.

    The lawmaker, who earlier had a closed door meeting with Gov. Atiku Bagudu, said the improved security situation in the state is one of the Buhari’s main achievements in office.

    “I can vividly recall in 2014 when Boko Haram insurgents unleashed mayhem in my constituency in Argungu Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

    “A relative of mine died in the attack, which I had never imagined the security situation then could deteriorate to.

    “The insurgency had spilled off from Borno state to Kebbi state,” Dantani said.

    Read Also: Atiku in Adamawa: vote out Buhari

    According to him, the APC- led government has now nipped the security situation in the bud, not only in the state but in many states in the Northern part of the country.

    Dantani refuted allegation from opposition parties that the security situation had not improved in the state in particular and the country in general.

    “Many of us have not forgotten when insurgency attacks reached Kano, Sokoto, Niger states, among others.

    “We don’t have such attacks now. Isn’t that an improvement in the security situation?

    “We should also not be unmindful of the fact that the agricultural revolution of Buhari, has helped our teeming unemployed youths and made our state, a leading rice producer in the country.

    “All these are courtesy of Buhari’s administration,” he said.

    The lawmaker called on people from his constituency, to massively rally round and support APC, in order to move the state and country forward come 2019 general elections.

  • Why I didn’t visit Chibok – Jonathan 

    …Saboteurs leaked my plans to foreign media

    The Former President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed why he refused to visit Chibok after the abduction of about 276 girls from Government Girls Secondary School Chibok in Borno State.

    Jonathan in his book, ‘My Transition Hours’ said he had planned to pay an unannounced visit to the community but he had to cancel after information about the proposed visit was leaked to the foreign media.

    He also dismissed the claim that several local government areas were under the control of the insurgents when he handed over power to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    He argued that elections would not have held in those communities if they were not liberated from the control of the insurgents.

    According to him: “Again, I was accused of not visiting Chibok immediately after the abduction of the girls. A lot of assumptions were made. What was not countenanced was the fact that a President moved with security advice from experts because he ceases to be a private citizen the moment he wears the powers of state.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, let me state that I had made up my mind to visit Chibok even against the advice of my Service Chiefs and sent an advance party to the area in preparation for my visit. It was meant to be an unannounced visit.

    “However someone in the know, most likely a saboteur, leaked the information to the Western media and they reported it.

    “Of course when it became public knowledge that I planned to visit Chibok, the security chiefs requested the trip to be cancelled. Their advice was germane and regrettably, my visit had to be cancelled.

    “Sometime, in the heat of the moment, one got the impression that I was being goaded to appear there in the great expectation of something untoward happening to me. I was to access Chibok in a helicopter that would have flown over Boko Haram infested areas.

    “This wave of misinformation on the kidnap of the Chibok girls is similar to the malicious propaganda still being spread by those who saw nothing commendable in all we did to curb the Echo Haram situation in the North East.”

    On whether he was slow in his response to the abduction, the former Presidnet said: “The criticism over alleged slow response was one of those absurd injections into the discourse, but when it comes from eminent persons who were supposed to be circumspect; it began to look more plausible to observers.

    “My administration was not slow in responding to the Chibok incident. How could response have been slow in a military occupied zone? Before the Presidency was alerted by the intelligence services, the military were already on it.

    “As soon as I got the intelligence report, I summoned the service chiefs for briefing. I was informed that the Air Force was already using several surveillance aircraft to search the area.”

    On the number of communities liberated from the insurgents before he handed over, he said: “They claimed that I left several local government areas under the control of the insurgents.

    “Fortunately, the Nigeria military had successfully liberated most of the local governments in the North East from the insurgents; a situation that made it possible for INEC to organise elections in all the affected areas.

    “The towns and communities liberated before the 2015 elections include Bama, Dikwa, Buni Yadi, Baga, Konduga, Madagali, Mubi, Gamboru-Ngala, Michika, Damboa, Monguno, Gwoza, Marte, Gujba, Bara, Hong, Kukawa, Goniri, Askira and Abadam.”

    On efforts made to rescue the girls, Jonathan said he did everything humanly possible to rescue the girls.

    “We did everything humanly possible to locate the girls. I wrote letters to the Presidents of the United States, Barack Obama, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, President of France, Francois Hollande as well as leaders of China, Israel and our neighbouring countries for help.

    “They supported the search in their different ways and capacities but until I left office, it was all to no avail.

    “On several occasions when raids were conducted and news of rescue of hostages filtered in, my hopes were raised but almost immediately dashed when victims were processed and none of the Chibok girls were among those rescued.”

    “As an aside, while thanking the men and women of the US security services who were deployed to Nigeria and toiled day and night in the Northeast in search of the Chibok Girls, my surprise at the role played by the then US. President Barack Obama, still calls to doubt his genuine intentions for Nigeria.”

    Jonathan also blamed Obama for the low success recorded in the fight against Boko Haram.

    “For some strange reasons, the Obama administration had tactically penciled Nigeria and my administration for failure. Amongst many manoeuvres, was the refusal to provide any real military backing to Nigeria’s Armed Forces.

    “President Obama and his security adviser, Susan Rice, bluntly refused to sell any military hardware including jet fighters and attack helicopters to Nigeria.

    “Obama cited the Leahy Law as the reason his regime prevented the American Government from supporting Nigeria in providing weapons to fight Boko Haram.

    “Even when the State of Israel expressed the willingness to sell attack helicopters to Nigeria, the gesture was frustrated by the Obama administration that kept waving the same Leahy Law like a banner.

    “My administration, including a team of international partners with their respective governments, devoted considerable amount of resources in the search and rescue of the girls.

    “I believe one day some of the security experts and actors that were involved in the search and rescue will tell the world the truth about the kidnap of the Chibok school girls.

    “I am glad that at the time of writing this book, some of them have been found and I hope the rest of the girls will be found and re-united with their families.”