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Tag: Chibok abduction

  • Chibok abduction, attack on women’s rights – Kabureka

    Chibok abduction, attack on women’s rights – Kabureka

    The President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Donald Kabureka, Thursday said the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, was a direct attack on  women’s right  to education.

    The kidnapping, according to Kabureka, also puts the very future of the country in danger as school children represent that future.

    The AfDB president said insecurity, violence and terrorism in Africa must be tackled on socio-economic and political levels, as well as through force.

    “We must use economic measures and political policy to ensure we do not have coalitions of permanent losers. If you have such a situation, you have a very low threshold for violence,” Kabureka said.

    He added that he does not buy into the idea that insecurity on the continent is entirely an “African problem,” as causes of militant groups are often imported from elsewhere.

    “I believe some of these fighters cannot even speak an African language,” he said.

    The Deputy Chairperson, African Union, Erastus Mwencha, said “fighting crime and terrorism must be multisectoral and inclusive, because terrorism itself knows no borders, responses to it must be transnational in terms of organization, information transfer and funding.”

     

  • Falana to FG: Stop trivializing Chibok abduction

    Falana to FG: Stop trivializing Chibok abduction

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    Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has advised the Federal Government to stop trivializing the abduction of female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, in the interest of public morality and sensibility.

    In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday, Falana remarked that the manner in which President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, are carrying on about the Chibok abduction leaves much to be desired.

    The activist noted that last Saturday, President Jonathan announced the setting up of a 26-member committee to probe the abduction of the school girls.

    He also noted that few hours after, the First Lady was reportedly said to have set up a parallel panel of inquiry on the same matter.

    He pointed out that while the panel set up by the President could be regarded as a ministerial panel, that of his wife has no constitutional backing or any known law.

    He suggested that the panel set up by the first lady be disbanded immediately.

    Falana recalled that because most members of the First Lady’s Panel are based in Borno State, she summoned them to appear in Abuja over the weekend.

    “Officials of the West African Examination Council were also ordered to report in Abuja by the wife of the President.

    “In a well televised drama, some of the panel members who responded to the summons were interrogated.

    “Frustrated by the refusal of the wife of the Governor of Borno State to turn up at the mock trial, the First Lady broke down in tears as the “grandmother” of the abducted girls.

    “To the utter embarrassment of the Nigerian people, the First Lady has since declared that no child is missing!

    “In spite of the inauguration of the Presidential Committee to investigate the abduction of the over 200 girls in Chibok and the publication of the names of about 185 of the missing girls by the Christian Association of Nigeria, some political leaders have insisted that no child has been abducted,” he noted.

     

  • Chibok: Britain, China to deploy satellite imaging technology

    Chibok: Britain, China to deploy satellite imaging technology

    … And other advanced tracking tools

    The British and Chinese governments have agreed to deploy their satellite imaging capabilities and other advanced tracking technologies to assist Nigeria in rescuing the over 200 secondary school girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State.

    This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati , while briefing State House correspondent on Wednesday.

    According to him, the President spoke with the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, on the phone after meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.

    He said: “In furtherance of efforts by the Federal Government to locate and rescue the girls abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday requested and received a commitment from Britain to deploy its intelligence gathering resources in support of Nigeria’s security agencies currently engaged in the search and rescue operation.

    “President Jonathan, who spoke with the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron on the phone after meeting with Premier Li Keqiang of China who is on an official visit to Nigeria, asked and received a promise of the deployment of British satellite imaging capabilities and other advanced tracking technologies in support of the ongoing effort.

    “The President thanked Mr. Cameron, the British Government and people for their concern over the fate of the abducted girls and their willingness to provide concrete assistance to save the girls from the terrorists who seized them from their school.”

  • China to assist Nigeria rescue abducted girls

    China to assist Nigeria rescue abducted girls

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday disclosed that China has also promised to help Nigeria rescue the over 200 secondary school girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State.
    Nigeria on Tuesday accepted United States President, Barrack Obama’s offer to deploy U.S. security personnel and assets to help Nigerian troops in the search and rescue operation for the girls.
    Speaking at a joint press conference after bilateral talks with China Prime Minister, Li Keqiang, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Jonathan said the two countries also agreed to deepen cooperation on anti piracy and combating organized crimes.
    He said: “The Premier promised that China will assist Nigeria in our fight against terror especially our commitment and efforts to rescue the girls that were taken away from a Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.”
    “We agreed to deepen cooperation in the field of defence and security and strenghten cooperation in counter terrorism, anti piracy and combating organised crimes.”
    “The Premier expressed firm support to efforts at safeguarding our sovereignty and secure our territorial integrity as well as promoting economic development.”
    He went on: “We examined issues of common interest to our countries. We reviewed in particular, our economic, trade, political and cultural relations.”
    “We are satisfied with the achievements recorded in those fields. We also agreed that the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership between our two countries coming up in 2015 should be marked to further deepen our relations.”
    He said the two countries also sought to maintain the momentum of exchanges of visits at all levels, including between governments, political parties and legislatures towards promoting mutual understanding and trust.

     

  • Chibok: France to send agents for rescue operation

    Chibok: France to send agents for rescue operation

    France on Wednesday offered to send security service agents to Nigeria to help recover more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect, Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, said.
    With more than 4,000 troops operating between Mali to the west and Central African Republic to the east, Paris has a major interest in preventing Nigeria’s security situation from deteriorating, having previously voiced concerns Boko Haram could spread further north into the Sahel.
    “The President has instructed … to put the (intelligence) services at the disposal of Nigeria and neighbouring countries,” Reuters quoted Fabius as saying to lawmakers.
    “This morning he asked us to contact the Nigerian president to tell him that a specialised unit with all the means we have in the region was at the disposal of Nigeria to help find and recover these young girls.”
    Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls last month and has threatened to sell them into slavery.
    “In the face of such ignominy France must react. This crime cannot be left unpunished,” Fabius said.

  • N50m reward for information on missing students

    N50m reward for information on missing students

    The police on Wednesday offered N50 million reward for anyone with information on the whereabouts of the abducted students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State.
    The girls were abducted from their hostels by the Boko Haram sect on April 14 and have since been taken to an unknown destination by their captors.
    In a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, the police assured that such information would be treated with uttermost confidentiality and that the identity of the informant would be protected.
    The police called on members of the public to be part of the government’s efforts at finding solution to the current security challenges in the country.
    The Force urged anyone with such useful information on the whereabouts of the abducted girls to contact the following telephone numbers: 09-2914649, 08081777309, 08055547536, 08032125050
    08034617591 and 08035969731.
    Last month’s mass kidnapping had triggered international outcry and protests in Nigeria, piling pressure on the government to get the girls back.
    The United States on Tuesday offered to send in men and equipment to join the battle to rescue the girls who were snatched away from their hostels on April 14.
    United Kingdom and other western nations have also pledged supports to the Federal Government in the bid to rescue the girls.

     

  • Chibok: Soyinka backs FG’s acceptance of US offer

    Chibok: Soyinka backs FG’s acceptance of US offer

    Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday backed the Federal Government’s acceptance of United States offer to provide assistance for ongoing efforts to rescue the abducted students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.
    He spoke on a CNN programme on Tuesday.
    According to him, President Goodluck Jonathan should have asked for the US assistance much earlier in view of the seriousness of the situation.
    “I don’t believe in false pride. The problem has been allowed to fester for too long. We are dealing with monstrosity, the kind we’ve never known before.

    ” The situation has gone beyond the capacity of the federal government and it has to be internationalized, ” he stated.

  • Chibok: UN Human Rights chief writes Jonathan

    Chibok: UN Human Rights chief writes Jonathan

    … Warns Boko Haram against selling girls

    The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, on Tuesday wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan and asked him to take steps to rescue the 234 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, from Boko Haram enclave.
    She said failure to protect the girls is a violation of human rights.
    She also warned Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, against selling the girls because it would amount to crimes against humanity.
    The UN High Commissioner made her position known in a statement in Geneva through her spokesperson, Rupert Colville
    The statement was made available to our correspondent from Geneva against the backdrop of the global search for the abducted girls.
    The statement said: “We are deeply concerned about the outrageous claims made in a video by a man believed to be the leader of Boko Haram in Nigeria yesterday, in which he brazenly says he will sell the abducted schoolgirls “in the market” and “marry them off”, referring to them as “slaves.”
    “We condemn the violent abduction of these girls, reportedly at gunpoint from their school in Chibok in Borno State in North-Eastern Nigeria.
    “We warn the perpetrators that there is an absolute prohibition against slavery and sexual slavery in international law. These can, under certain circumstances, constitute crimes against humanity. The girls must be immediately returned, unharmed, to their families.”
    Along with seven others, she said she had sent a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan on the need to rescue the girls from Boko Haram.
    The statement added: “The High Commissioner has contacted the President of Nigeria and urged the Government to ensure that it spares no effort to ensure the safe return of the girls to their homes and communities.
    “In a letter signed by Navi Pillay, along with the Executive Director of UN Women, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, the four African UN women leaders reminded the Nigerian Government of its legal responsibility to ensure that girls and boys have the fundamental rights to education and to be protected from violence, persecution and intimidation.
    “As the High Commissioner said during her visit to Nigeria earlier this year, the actions of Boko Haram have grown increasingly monstrous. The group has targeted some people simply because of their religion or professional occupation – and in this case, simply because the girls were enrolled in school.
    “We urge the authorities to take all necessary measures, consistent with human rights, to protect their people from these violations and crimes.
    “It is particularly important that the local state authorities and the federal government cooperate fully.
    “Failure to undertake effective measures that are within the authorities’ means to protect people is a violation of human rights. However, States assisting Nigeria in its counter-terrorism operations should also ensure that they stay within the remits of international law.”

     

  • UK to help Nigeria rescue abducted students

    British Foreign Minister William Hague offered on Tuesday to help Nigeria secure the release of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect last month.
    “We are offering practical help,” Hague told reporters as he arrived for a Council of Europe meeting in Vienna to discuss ways to defuse the situation in Ukraine, where the government is trying to quell an insurrection by pro-Russian activists.
    “What has happened there… the actions of Boko Haram to use girls as the spoils of war, the spoils of terrorism, is disgusting. It is immoral,” he said.
    Hague said he did not want to discuss the details of what help Britain was offering.
    Reuters reports that the leader of Boko Haram has threatened to sell the abducted schoolgirls.

  • Detained protest leader released

    Detained protest leader released

    The detained leader of a group protesting the abduction of 234 female students of a secondary school in Borno State, Mrs. Naomi Mutah, has been released by the police.

    The Media representative of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement (BBOGM), Mr. Rotimi Olawale, confirmed to our correspondent on telephone Monday that Mrs. Mutah was released on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.

    Olawale said Mrs. Mutah was taken to hospital for medical attention after regaining her freedom.