The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chibok girls

  • Boko Haram to free 219 Chibok girls in swap deal

    Boko Haram to free 219 Chibok girls in swap deal

    Govt to release 18 key sect members

    DHQ probes report on Shekau’s condition

    After much persuasion, Boko Haram has agreed to release the abducted 219 Chibok girls if the Federal Government will simultaneously set free its 18 key commanders.

    The two parties have asked their representatives to go back to their leaders on the new swap deal proposal.

    Prior to the latest agreement at the talks in Abuja, which was witnessed by some officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC), Boko Haram had insisted on a piecemeal release of the girls, with priority given to 30 married Christians among them.

    The Federal Government also offered to release six of the 18 sect leaders in detention.

    The two sides maintained a parallel stand until they met again in Abuja at a session facilitated by the President, Civil Rights Congress (CRC),  Comrade Shehu Sani.

    The sect said if the government attempted to secure the girls by force, it might lead to fatalities.

    At the meeting, Boko Haram also maintained that it had the capacity to “engage the Federal Government for 45 years”.

    It said the outcome of the talks would determine the end of the insurgency.

    Some of those at the talks gave insights into the new dimension to the moves to free the Chibok girls, who were abducted from their hostel on April 15.

    It was gathered that the session was attended by ICRC officials.

    One of those who attended  said: “The sect shifted its position and agreed to release all the girls instead of 30 Christian married girls it had promised. But Boko Haram said it does not trust the government going by previous experience.

    “If the government had respected previous talks, the Chibok girls were initially meant to be off the hook during the Eid-el Fitr festival. Again about two weeks ago, a delegation was already in Maiduguri until the swap deal was bungled.

    “Some security agents only advised on the release of six out of the 18 leaders of the sect. They rated the rest 12 as dangerous.

    “When the insurgents found out, they backtracked and demanded the release of the 18 leaders. The development paved the way for the latest talks in Abuja which involved the ICRC.”

    “By the new arrangement, ICRC will pick up the girls and simultaneously hand over the detained 18 leaders to Boko Haram.

    “The government also said it would not free the detained leaders of Boko Haram until all the girls were released.

    Asked what was eventually agreed upon, another source at the session said: “We generally agreed that all the parties should go back to their leaders on the agreement reached. The government said no to piecemeal release of the girls and Boko Haram claimed that it will not have any business with the government until all the 18 leaders of the sect are freed.

    “After the Eid-el-Kabir festival, the two parties will meet again on the terms to finalise the agreement or part ways.

    “Before the meeting rose, Boko Haram representatives warned against the use of force to liberate the girls. It also made it clear that it had the “capacity to take on the Federal Government for the next 45 years.”

    Responding to a question on whether the sect will end the insurgency or not, another source said: “The delegation from Boko Haram said the outcome of the latest round of talks will determine whether they should ceasefire or not.”

  • Important timeline of Chibok girls’ abduction

    Important timeline of Chibok girls’ abduction

    April 14: The Government Girls Secondary School in the village of Chibok reopened for exams.  Armed men in Nigerian military uniform stormed into the school at night, telling the girls they would take them to safety.  The students soon realized the men were not real soldiers; they were actually from Boko Haram, a terrorist group based in northeastern of Nigeria whose name figuratively means “Western education is a sin”.

    April 16: The government of Borno state announce a reward of $300,000 for information leading to the rescue of the school girls. Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan calls a National Security Council meeting in Abuja to review security measures to determine the best way forward. The Nigerian military issued a statement that almost all of the girls had been freed. The next day, the military retracted their claim.

    April 24: Parents of the missing girls and other Nigerians take to social media to call the attention of the international community to their plight and to put pressure on the Nigerian government to take action. Ibrahim M. Abdullahi, a lawyer in Abuja, sends the first tweet using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.

    April 30: The “Million-Woman March, held in Abuja, gathers about 500 people who were mostly women dressed in red. They marched to the National Assembly and delivered a letter,  complaining that the government was not doing enough to ensure the release of the girls.

    May 2: President Goodluck Jonathan announces a “fact-finding committee” to help in the search of the girls. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced that Washington “will do everything possible to support the Nigerian government to return these young women to their homes and hold the perpetrators to justice. That is our responsibility and the world’s responsibility.”

    May 5: In a video statement, Boko Haram leader acknowledges that his group was responsible for the kidnapping of the schoolgirls. He declares the students “will remain slaves with us”. The White House confirms that the United States is helping Nigeria in the quest to find and free the abducted schoolgirls.  There is some speculation that the girls may have been moved into nearby countries.

    May 7: Boko Haram attacks the Nigerian village of Gamboru Ngala on the border with Cameroon. Over 300 people are killed in the attack. In Paris, French president François Hollande offers Nigeria a “special team” to look for the girls and Britain says it will send a team of experts to Nigeria to help with the crisis. China’s Premier Li Keqiang, on a visit to Abuja, promises that his country will make any useful information acquired by its satellites and intelligence services available to Nigeria’s security agencies.

    May 12: In a new Boko Haram video, the leader of the group Abubakar Shekau claims to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls. The girls say they have converted to Islam and the terrorist group declares they will release the schoolgirls in exchange for all imprisoned militants.

    May 17: United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, William Hague, President Goodluck Jonathan and French President, François Hollande are among attendees of a summit in Paris on the growing threat of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. William Hague offered Nigeria assistance in the form of military advisors, but has insisted that the country must take its security responsibility seriously in the face of ongoing attacks from Boko Haram.

    May 21: Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US Professor Ade Adefuye responds to disparaging remarks made by Senator McCain at a meeting in Washington DC. He said the Nigerian government was doing everything possible to secure the safe release of the Girls and assured that #our girls will be back.

    May 27: The military says it knows where the girls abducted by Boko Haram are, but ruled out using force to rescue them.  Nigeria’s president was sent a new video of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in which they plead with him to spare their lives through a prisoner swap. The Nigerian government has denied that any deal was on the table, and has so far neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the video.

    July 12: Pakistani human rights activist Malala Yousafzai visits Abuja and meets, first with five of the girls who escaped (July 13), and then with the President (July 14).

    July 15: Jonathan’s planned meeting fails to hold as the parents reportedly cancel it the very last moment. Goodluck Jonathan blames #BringBackOurGirls campaigners for whisking away the parents who were to visit him at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    July 16: Parents explain that they did not shun the meeting with President intentionally, but were unaware of it saying they received the invitation already on the day of the visit scheduled by Jonathan.

    July 17: Presidency sends another letter to the girls’ parents and the event gets rescheduled to the next week.

    July 22: Jonathan meets with the parents of the Chibok girls at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

  • Group marches through Bayelsa streets for Fawehinmi

    Group marches through Bayelsa streets for Fawehinmi

    Members of a non-governmental organisation, Edoni-Iza Freemen Educational Foundation (EFEF), on Tuesday marched the streets of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the death of late human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

    Fawehinmi died on September 5, 2009.

    The members who displayed placards eulogising the virtues of the late activist chanted songs in his memory and ended their movement at Opolo junction area of the capital city.

    Their activities caught the admiration of passers-by and motorists who stopped momentarily to catch a glimpse of their display.

    The convener of the group, Mr. Lucky Ifiki, said Fawehinmi was too noble for Nigerians to forget him easily and sweep his ideals under the carpet.

    He asked the Federal Government to dedicate a day to be called Gani Fawehinmi Day to give people the opportunity to promote good ideologies and patriotism.

    He said: “We use the opportunity to tell Nigerians that Fawehinmi needs to be celebrated. The government should dedicate a day for him so that Nigerians would have the opportunity to promote good ideologies such as patriotism.

    “By doing so, we will systematically have a good society. In our social culture, we are promoting nude life, meaningless music. The ideology of Fawehinmi is too noble for us to sweep it under the carpet. We decided to come and celebrate this man. It is going to be a yearly affair.”

    He recalled how the late activist spent over 40 years of his life fighting for the masses, agitating for good governance and a better Nigeria.

    He further reminded Nigerians that Fawehinmi stood against the oppression of the military and contributed in returning the country on the path of democracy.

    He said the abducted Chibok girls were missing the presence of the late social crusader, adding that if he had been alive he would have carried out earth-shaking protests to secure their freedom.

    “If Fawehinmiwere to be alive, he would have been on the street every second carrying out protest. Such activities are attached to his blood. He would have been mobilising us and speaking boldly and loudly.

    “Today, the state of affairs had gone worse because the same people who frustrated him are the same people who are promoting terrorism and wasting our daughters’ lives,” he said.

  • Chibok girls: senators join Abuja protesters

    •’Insurgents installed new emir in Bama’

    TWO senators from Borno,  Mohammed Ali Ndume and Senator Khalifa Ahmed Zanna, joined the #BringBackOurGirls protesters yesterday, calling on Nigerians not to make the mistake of returning the government of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

    The senators, who spoke yesterday in Abuja during the sit-out of members of the advocacy group, said if Nigerians do, the country would not be able to survive.

    The senators said the government was allergic to the truth and criticism.

    They accused the administration of telling lies about doing everything to bring back the Chibok girls, revealing that the insurgents have installed an emir in Bama.

    But the government, according to them,  has never taken any action about the girls and was only misleading Nigerians.

    They promised to join the protesters until the government takes up its responsibilities of securing the lives and property of its citizens.

    Ndume  and Zanna said the group, which has been sitting out for over 139 days in protest of the abduction of the over 200 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, comprised of honest Nigerians.

    Zanna’s words: “In the history if Nigeria, we have never had a more irresponsible government like the one we have now. When this incident happened, they played politics first before action. I have never seen any action being taken by the government on these girls.

    “I did my own investigations and whenever I say anything, it will be the truth and nothing but the truth. I don’t know where we are going to place this government in the history of Nigeria or Africa. If they say that the #BringBackOurGirls are from the opposition, I am not from the opposition; I am a PDP senator. To me, party is secondary. If my party is not doing the right thing, I will come out and say it.

    “How on earth, for 155 days, that the daughters of some people are taken by some rascals and the government is doing nothing about it. They are now even allowing them to pick more and more. Instead of 200, maybe there are even 3,000 or 4,000 with them (Boko Haram members). Because within the last one week, in Bama alone, they might have taken 500 or 1,000.”

    The senator said the insurgents were now taking other people’s wives, adding that when the women complained that they were married, the militants would say that they were married to infidels.

    He added: “I don’t know what religion they are practicing. These are pure criminals and being supported by somebody who is supposed to protect us; that is the basic truth.

    “If care is not taken, this thing will continue. It will not end in Borno, Yobe or the Northeast alone. According to my own analysis, it will continue beyond. It is just a matter of time and if Nigerians make the mistake of brining this government back, I am afraid, we are not going to survive in this country. The truth must be told because what I am seeing, maybe some of you don’t see.

    “Today, according to my own investigation, an emir is being installed in Bama. What will be their mission again? They are trying to attack Maiduguri and all this intelligence are being relayed to the intelligence headquarters. If they don’t take action, then it is their own problem, their own fault; not ours. Any information we get, we relate.

    “If the world has a conscience, they must come to the rescue of Nigerians. We are in a very deep trouble. This is not only affecting Muslims, but including Christians and those who don’t have religion.

    “What they are after is just to destroy Nigeria and they are using the Boko Haram to do it. What was Boko Haram three years ago? Two and half years ago, I asked the military to leave Maiduguri because I observed what they were doing.

    “They did not take it likely, they went and ransacked my house and brought out my family unto the street and humiliated them. And not stopping there, they went and arrested the boy they claimed was a high profile Boko Haram commander in their mentor’s house –  that is Sheriff’s house. But they came out to claim that he was arrested in my house. I came out and told them that they are lying and up to today, they cannot prove that they arrested that man in my house.”

    Ndume, in his own speech, said: “I want to tell you that we in the National Assembly, and particularly I can speak for myself and Zanna, we would do our best and we are open to your suggestions and criticism because we believe that this your cause is because you only want the girls back and alive.

    “The National Assembly, especially the members from the Northeast, we are trying to stay away because one of the things that is now common with the government is to say that anything that one does is opposition sponsored. This government is so allergic to criticism that anything you do is opposition.

    “Why we came here today is to join you in pushing and making the government to bring back our girls now and alive; we are with you.”

  • Jonathan, Shekarau, others meet over abducted Chibok girls’ SSCE results

    President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and three other top government officials held a crucial meeting yesterday on the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

    Over 200 female pupils of the school were abducted during the examination on April 14.

    “The result of that examination has been released,” Shekarau said.

    The minister, who spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Education at the National Assembly, noted that the meeting was necessitated by the fact that “the result is haphazard.”

    His words: “In fact, by 1pm today (yesterday), the President has scheduled a meeting, which I am attending, specifically to address some of the issues of girls education in that troubled zone.

    “By this morning (yesterday), I got an information from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). The result of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok has been released. But we have to look at it vis-a-vis the security situation and implication before the formal release. It’s right now in my possession.

    “Because when the abduction occurred, some remained, completed their exams, some were taking exams and they were abducted. So, the result is haphazard. We’re addressing that this afternoon (yesterday).

    “This is just for the information of the members. It is also a matter of great concern to us. I’m sure by 1pm, four, five of us will be sitting with Mr. President to address this issue.”

  • ‘How to defeat Boko Haram, rescue Chibok girls’

    As the military and Boko Haram insurgents battle for the control of some towns in the Northeastern states of Borno and Adamawa, a Lagos lawyer, Mr. Kunle Uthman, examines the sect’s origin and its activities. He gives tips on how to rescue the Chibok school girls abducted by the group last April. 

    Boko Haram, an Islamic sect, a terrorist organisation and a Jihadist group has attacked Nigeria’s police and the military, rival clerics, politicians, schools, religious buildings, public institutions, and civilians with increasing regularity since 2009.  Analysts and historians view Boko Haram as an armed revolt against the government’s corruption, abusive security forces, and widening regional economic disparity in an already impoverished country.

    The sect calls itself Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, or “people committed to the propagation of the Prophet’s teachings and jihad”.  Colloquially translated as “Western education is sin”.   While Boko Haram was not initially an insurgency or terrorist organisation its origin is rooted in grievances over poor governance and sharp inequality in the Nigerian society.

    “The emergence of Boko Haram signifies the maturation of long-festering extremist impulses that run deep in the social reality of Northern Nigeria” writes Chris Nwodo.  “But the group itself is an effect not a cause; it is a symptom of decades of failed government and elite delinquency finally ripening into social chaos”.

    It is noteworthy that despite a per capital income of more than US$2,700 and vast wealth in natural resources, Nigeria has one of the world’s poorest population.  An estimated 70 per cent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day.  Economic disparities between the north and the rest of the country are particularly stark and indeed, appalling.

    In the north, 72 per cent of people live in abject poverty, compared to 27 per cent in the south and 35 per cent in the Niger Delta. The high poverty level among the low class and the stupendous wealth of the feudalist and the oligarchy have resulted in palpable disaffection among the generality of the northerners.

    As such, Egbunike described Nigeria as “A plane on autopilot, a battle ground between those who vowed to make the country ‘ungovernable’ and a government that lacks the courage to put them behind bars.  Little wonder that the peace we all crave for may remain an illusion for quite some time”. Another dimension of the Boko Haram insurgence is the effect on the corporate image of Nigeria within committee of nations.  Internationally, the image of the nation is dented while prostitution, crime, drug trafficking, fraud and high level of corruption are the issues that are negatively affecting the reputation of Nigeria and Nigerians anywhere in the world.  There is no amount of image laundering that can influence the impression of the international community if negative news on a daily basis continue to emanate from Nigeria.

    Therefore, the violent uprising in Northern Nigeria are ultimately due to “the fallout of frustration with corruption and the attendant social malaise of poverty and unemployment”.  Poverty and unemployment make crime very attractive and irresistible to our teaming youth as an idle hand is the cheapest instrument in the hand of the devil.

    Terrorism is a globalised phenomenon confronting the international community.  It has grown both in strength and trend and its impact felt in different parts of the world including Nigeria, due to the activities of Boko Haram creating growing concern with the level of loss of lives in tens of thousands since its transformation from a sect in 2001 into a terrorist organisation.

    In an article titled “Boko Haram: A religious Sect or Terrorist organisation”, Mike Okemi described terrorist as actors, who do not belong to any recognised armed forces or who do not adhere to the laws of war and who are, therefore, regarded as vogue actors’.

    Today Boko Haram has expanded its tentacles from the Northwest to the Northeast, Northcentral parts of Nigeria and the impact of its terrorism acts resulted in capital flight in these areas including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.  A mere sms message widely circulated in Lagos and its environs that the group was operating within the Lagos to Ibadan Expressway, resulted in traffic gridlock and commuters were stuck for 12 hours in a journey that ordinarily would be 60 minutes.

    Mike Okemi further stated that the economic situations in many countries lead many individuals to seek refuge and comfort within the confines’ of a terrorist organisation due to high level unemployment. These organisations offer food, shelter and consistent income for the members and their families.  This extreme poverty leads to vulnerability and insecurity and while poverty does not always lead to terrorism, terrorism does take advantage of misery, knowing that despair create favourbale conditions for terrorist projects and actions.

    An “Insurgent” is properly defined in Black’s Law Dictionary 6th Edition as “one who participates in an insurrection, one who opposes the execution of law by force of arms, or who rises in revolt against their constituted authorities.  An enemy.  Therefore, the Boko Haram insurgents are enemies of the Nigerian nation and should be appropriately treated as such.  Boko Haram is not a sect, a group of insurgents but a terrorist organisation which falls within the definition of the word as a group that uses violence, especially murder and bombing, in order to achieve political aims or to force a government to do something.

    David Anderson Q. C., an Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation and the Operation of the Terrorism Act 2000 and Part I of the Terrorism Act 2006  of the United Kingdom, in his report of July 2013 stated that there are 3 cumulative elements to the UK’s current definition of terrorism.  Namely:

    (a) the actions (or threat of actions) that constitute terrorism, which encompass serious violence against a person; serious damage to property; and actions which endanger life, create a serious risk of health or safety, or are designed seriously to interfere or seriously to disrupt an electronic system.  (b) the target to which those acts must be directed; they must be designed to influence a government or international organization, or to intimidate the public or a section of the public and; (c) the motive that must be present; advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.

    In 2012, Ansaru, A Boko Haram splinter group suspected of the killing of a British hostage in Nigeria in March 2012, was proscribed by the British Parliament in December, 2012 pursuant to the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2012.

     

  • 2015: Chibok girls, insurgency won’t stop Jonathan, says group

    2015: Chibok girls, insurgency won’t stop Jonathan, says group

    A group, Transformation for Good Leadership and Development Initiative (TRANSGOLD), has said the delay in the release of the abducted Chibok girls and the insurgency in the North-East will not stop President Goodluck Jonathan from declaring his ambition for another term as president.

    The group said Jonathan is set to announce his ambition for re-election soon, adding that there is nothing anybody can do to stop him.

    Hon. Dugdale Kpobari Badom, the South–South Coordinator of the group, spoke yesterday at the South-South Zonal meeting of the group held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

    He said the meeting, which was attended by National executive members of TRANSGOLD, was to inform supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan in the region that he will soon declare his ambition.

    Badom said there is no need to panic over the comment of some Northerners as nothing, including the activities of Boko Haram and the delay in the release of Chibok girls, would stop Jonathan from declaring his ambition.

    He noted that the meeting in Port Harcourt was to prepare the minds of supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan on his historic declaration, which will take place soon.

    “We are grassroots mobilizers. The national members of our group are in Port Harcourt to encourage President Goodluck Jonathan’s supporters in the South-South region to be steadfast and not to consider any negative comment against the President by his critics.

    “Jonathan is a blessing to Nigeria. He will announce his ambition soon. Nobody will stop him; not even the activities of Boko Haram.

    “Our happiness is that even in the North, Jonathan has more friends and supporters than those who are against him.

    “As for the release of the Chibok girls and to end insurgency in the North, President Jonathan is doing his best and we are assuring Nigerians that the Chibok girls will be released. So, nobody should play politics with the abducted girls.”

  • Davis, Chibok girls and Boko Haram

    A few months ago, an Australian, Dr Stephen Davis, emerged from nowhere, claiming to be  negotiating on behalf of the government with Boko Haram on the release of the abducted 219 Chibok schoolgirls. His claim was widely reported by the media. Among others, he claimed that the Boko Haram insurgents were ready to release the girls, who are spending their 150th day in captivity today, if government met certain conditions. He did not state the conditions.

    Most importantly, he said, the group was literally tired of holding the girls because it has run out of supplies. By this, Davis meant that Boko Haram does not have food, drugs and other essentials that could make living in the bush a bit easy. And with 219 girls in tow, the sect has added more to its burden with its own hand. Again, some of the girls were ill and needed medication, which Boko Haram could not readily provide

    In such a situation, the wise thing to do is to release the girls, which it seemed the group was willing to do,  everything being equal. Nigerians were looking forward to the government taking the matter up from there, but mum was the word from Abuja. What we heard next was that the government would not negotiate with Boko Haram because, in its own thinking, to do so, would amount to giving in to terrorism. Indeed, I am for standing up to terrorists, but time and circumstance should determine whatever position we take when confronted with two evils.

    In the circumstance that we are in, is it not better to negotiate with Boko Haram and get the girls out before any other consideration?  We have seen such happen in the United States (US). As powerful  as America  is, it did not allow its ego to stand in its way of negotiating with the Taliban for the release of an American soldier, who was captured in Afghanistan. For that lone American soldier, the US released five Taliban militias. There is a lesson in that for us, but our leaders chose to listen to those who said they should not negotiate with Boko Haram. If the US could through Qatar negotiate with the Taliban, what stops Nigeria from reaching out to Boko Haram in order to free our girls?

    Davis is again in the news. A few weeks ago, he released a bombshell. He claimed that he was told by the Boko Haram leadership that its sponsors are, among others, former Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika and former Borno State Governor Alli Modu Sheriff. Many mouths are still agape over the allegation. Can it be true? This is the question many are asking because as army chief Ihejirika waged relentless war against Boko Haram. If he fought the sect while in office, when then did he become its sponsor considering that he left office not long ago?

    Davis’ claim beggars belief but it cannot be brushed aside with a wave of the hand. He must have been told something by the Boko Haram elements who he has met on a number of occasions to discuss one or two things. It  looks absurd that it took his allegation against Ihejirika for the government to disown him. When Davis spoke about his efforts to rescue the Chibok  girls after  meeting with Boko Haram, government did not tell us then that he was not acting on its behalf. It kept quiet, and silence, they say, means consent.

    If the government did not disown Davis then, why is it doing so now? Is it because he claimed to have been told that Ihejirika is a Boko Haram sponsor? What Davis said is mere allegation. What is more; it is hearsay. What this means is that he has to produce the person who told him that Ihejirika is a Boko Haram sympathiser for his statement to be worried. So, why is the government fidgety over his claim? Rather than being troubled by the allegation, it should try to get to the root of the matter, if it is  serious about stopping the Boko Haram insurgency.

    How do you stop Boko Haram if you are not ready to follow a lead that would help you in your investigation? It is disheartening that the State Security Service (SSS) could come out boldly the way it did without investigation to dismiss Davis’ claim against Ihejirika,  and yet in the same breathe, it upheld the allegation against Sheriff. Sheriff, the SSS said, would be invited for yet another interrogation. What did the SSS find in its previous interrogations of the former governor? If SSS did not find anything against him then, is it now that it will get cogent evidence of his romance with Boko Haram, just because of what Davis said?

    At times, our security agencies act hastily without looking at the merit of a case before drawing their conclusion. And this is just one of such occasions. There is no serious security agency in the world that will dismiss such grave allegations without prior investigation. For instance, a court will never dismiss a claim as frivolous and vexatious without first hearing the parties. Who and who did the SSS quiz before dismissing  Davis’ allegation against Ihejirika? If SSS  cleared him because as ”army chief he waged battle against Boko Haram”, why can’t it extend the same gesture to Sheriff, who the agency  investigated in the past without finding anything incriminating against him?

    The battle to unmask those behind Boko Haram is not one to be fought on sentiments. Our security agencies should bear in mind that they owe Nigerians a duty to end the Boko Haram insurgency and bring all those behind it to book, no matter how influential they may be. Nobody should be seen as too big or untouchable in this Herculean task of ridding our nation of this evil. No sane person will be happy with what Boko Haram is doing in the Northeast today.

    The insurgents  have been capturing towns and villages in Borno and Adamawa states, leaving death and destruction in their trail. We must collectively put a stop to this and the only way we can do that is to be truthful to ourselves. What is the essence of disowning Davis when we know that there is no way he could have found himself in Boko Haram’s enclave without the knowledge of those in power? And of course, that of the Australian High Commission, which represents his home government here. If Davis was not hired as government negotiator, what then was he doing in Boko Haram’s  den knowing the inherent danger in such adventure? Training the insurgents on the use of arms and how to make bombs?

    The government should spare us  that kind of talk. We are wiser than that. What we want urgently now is for our girls to be rescued and the lost towns in Borno and Adamawa states recovered from Boko Haram.

  • ‘Nigerians must unite on Chibok girls’

    ‘Nigerians must unite on Chibok girls’

     148 days after Boko Haram abducted over 200 school girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, the parents and relatives still grapple with the reality that the girls may never return home. In this interview with GRACE OBIKE, the Director of Publicity of Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), the association representing the Chibok people in Abuja, Dr. Manasseh Allen, speaks on the travails of the parents and residents of the area since the abduction. 

    hat does it feel like coming from Chibok?

    Coming from Chibok is something that is natural and I cannot change it, but, at times, I really feel like I am placed in a very difficult situation. Let  me say a disadvantage position . Here you find yourself among poor people who have no voice and suffering from what they cannot solve by themselves.

    Has the President fulfilled any of the promises he made to your people?

    Not even one; when we came last time to see Mr President, he promised us that he was going to do everything possible to rescue the girls, which is the most important thing to us, to see this girls coming back and continue with their normal lives. But, till date, no information as to what has been done in regards to rescuing these girls or as to solve the security challenges in the community. People are still leaving in fear. People lost houses, businesses and some were forced to relocate to other parts.

    So, would you say the President lied to the Chibok community?

    In a way, I may not really say lie but when you make a promise and did not fulfil, then one has to question a lot of things in that regard. If the government can accept the fact that they said that they know the location of these girls and 148 days after, no issue of having them back or informing or giving hints to the parents that this is how far we have gone regarding the girls, I think something is wrong there.

    If the President promised to see the end of insurgency and day in, day out and communities are being lost to the insurgents means, that we are still far from having that promise fulfilled and if you did not solve the continuous attacks on the communities and even the seizures of some local governments in the Northeast, you cannot develop people that are living in fear. If you build schools, for sure, they will still burn the schools again; if you build or rehabilitate any hospital, they will still go ahead and burn it down. The most important thing is making security a first class priority.

    Based on what I heard from the President and what they intend to do, it is not applicable to the present situation we find ourselves.

    How do your people feel so far after meeting the President?

    When they came, they were really anticipating something good and when we met with Mr President and the fact that he gave us all the time we needed was very good to them. So, they were really anticipating something good but looking at the preceding events after the visit, our people started casting doubts on a lot of things, especially when the issue of money came in and not really clearly handled. Some people were sceptical about the whole issue.

    Do your people feel supported by the government?

    No they feel abandoned.

    After the issue with the money came up, has there been a rapport with the government on the issue?

    The issue was really straight but they made it complicated in the sense that, these are poor people; they came to see their president, had meeting with the President and he gave them a place to stay. If I come to see my President and he knows that I am a poor person, displaced and without food or mattress to sleep on and I don’t have all these things and need them all and he decides to give me something to support myself, it should be something open and in an open way that you do not need to hide anything.

    I was personally not against Mr President helping poor people, who are Nigerians and need it but the manner in which the money issue was handled was not good because these people have structures. They came to Abuja with their traditional leaders, the Principal and medical practitioners that can speak regarding health challenges in that community. So, if the Presidency needs to help these poor people, they have structures. They should have been asked their needs and it should be handled in that regards, because they need not just to send somebody in the middle of the night to come and be moving from one room to the other, waking people and distributing something in envelopes in the absence of the structures that brought them to Abuja. It was wrong and our leaders were angry that the issue of money came deliberately to ridicule their efforts in the issue of the struggle to bring back the girls.

    The President promised to instruct NEMA to distribute relief materials to your people, did it happen?

    NEMA was in Chibok one or two weeks after the abduction but after our visit to Mr President, NEMA has not been to Chibok. We have not seen anything from NEMA, up till today, nothing.

    A governor said some of the girls were actually abducted before the main incident that made the news, is it true?

    It is not true, it is completely false because somebody like me, I stay in Chibok, I am from Chibok and virtually know majority of these girls by name. In my extended family alone, about 26 girls are part of those abducted. So, if somebody is coming out to say that it is a scam, it is most unfortunate. I always say that Chibok is in Nigeria and not a foreign land that is difficult for security agents to investigate whatever information someone gives. That school is the only school that we have in Chibok; in fact, in the neighbouring local government; it is the only female school in that location. So, it is normal to have a large number of students in such schools because Chibok is missionary-based and we look at education as the only means that we have to position ourselves in Nigeria.

    So, the issue that how can a village school have the large population of girls at the same time, writing the same exams is uncalled for because you can actually find more than that in our local government. We have boys who cannot get admission into an ordinary Government Secondary School; if we had more schools, we know that we will have a larger number of these people in such schools.

    Someone was also saying how is it possible to move over 200 girls from one school? What kind of car will be used? Some people will even go to the extent of analysing the number of vehicle needed to convey such a large number of girls out of school. Let me tell you something, they picked a large wooden 911 truck belonging to a private business man; he is not even from Chibok. They offloaded bags of maize from the truck and loaded these girls into the truck. And how many Toyota hilux did these people come with and how many cars were taken from Chibok? They took a lot of cars.

    I know that every girl that we say is missing is truly missing and for anybody to have doubts and call us names, saying it is a scam is very unfortunate.

    I personally took more than 20 foreign journalists to Chibok. They went there, visited the parents and even saw the personal belongings of these girls to be sure that people are missing. By the way, what does one stand to benefit from lying to Nigerians that my daughter is missing? Let me tell you. If today they can bring my people back, I can tell you that you will not hear anything from us again. Nobody is interested in safe school programme or the Presidential initiative or whatever you call it. All they ask is to bring their daughters back and secure their community which is the statutory responsibility of the government.

    Instead of people understanding with us and joining us in the fight, some people are busy blaming the opposition, and saying that it is an intentional ploy to make the administration of Goodluck difficult. It is unfortunate. This is something happening to teenagers, innocent girls, some of them have never seen a tarred road before or travelled anywhere. If you see it, it is a village school; they can’t even get enough quality education like their counterparts in other parts of the country and some people are casting doubts and calling it a scam.

    Do your people sleep in the bushes still?

    It is absolutely true. Most of my people used to sleep in the bush for fear of Boko Haram. Few weeks ago, some teenagers spent the night outside and when coming back in the morning, they were abducted in Tukurumbula village and till date, we don’t know their whereabouts. A pastor went to sleep outside his home for fear and on his way back in the morning; he was ambushed and taken away. We have not seen him till today and he is my in-law.

    Things happen, people go out to sleep in the bush and return to their houses in the morning but recently things are not so bad because after taking over Gwoza, most of the insurgents have relocated to Gwoza and we are having relative peace in Chibok and the Chibok main village, most of the Boko Haram members have moved over to their headquarters in Gwoza.

    Do you people still believe that the girls can be returned after 148 days?

    On the perspective of faith and my own personal faith in God, I am optimistic that even if all of the girls do not return, a good number of them will come back. But on the side of the reality that I see on the ground, I am sceptical because it is taking too long. Over 148 days, I’m afraid that it is taking too long.

    Have the parents of the girls performed the burial ritual of the girls as reported?

    It is not true. No parent performed any burial ritual of their daughter in abduction; but some of the parents are really looking at it as if these girls are dead; please inform us that they are dead so that we can make up our minds to start living but if they are alive, then bring them back. We are still praying that they come back.

    Do you feel abandoned by Nigerians? 

    I feel like there is a level of complexity because if this were to have happened in another country, I’m sure that the seat of government would be made too hot until the girls return but we Nigerians forgive easily and are not really our brothers’ keepers as we are supposed to be. I’m sorry for saying that but that is the fact.

    But Nigerians need to wake up and join the advocacy because today it is Chibok, who knows where it will be tomorrow? Because Boko Haram is a terrorists group, Nigerians need to all come together and let us fight it together.

    What is your take on the new slogan of #BringBackGoodluck2015?

    This is what I call the poverty of the mind in the sense that people don’t have the sympathy or empathy of others because if at all I am pro-Jonathan, what does shouting to bring back  our girls have to do with the seat of government? Unfortunately people think that advocating for the girls to be brought back is to ridicule the government of Jonathan. It’s unfortunate.

     

  • ‘Jonathan’s campaign strategy mocks Chibok girls’ parents’

    ‘Jonathan’s campaign strategy mocks Chibok girls’ parents’

    The#BringBackOur Girls (BBOG) protesters have said President Goodluck Jonathan’s new campaign slogan, #BringBackGoodluck2015, does not only show his inhumanity, but also mocks the grieving Chibok girls’ parents.

    They said it was unfair for the President to mock the parents “because he does not know what will happen to him tomorrow.”

    The protesters said government tried to stop their advocacy through intimidation, “which will not work because we shall stand firm until the schoolgirls, who were abducted 146 days ago at the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok are rescued.”

    The group’s leader, Aisha Yusufu, spoke yesterday in Abuja during a protest.

    She said although the nation was at ‘war’ with the Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast, the President did not deem it fit to address the citizens over the ‘war’.

    Her words: “I think their plan is to mock us, to mock the campaign. But the only thing they have succeeded in doing is to show their inhumanity. They don’t have a sense of empathy.

    “This is a campaign for people in pains. No matter how highly-placed, how important somebody is, you are not above God. Anything can happen to you. We don’t know what can happen tomorrow. Those who are laughing at somebody grieving today do not know what will be their portion tomorrow. Only God knows tomorrow. This is why you should never mock another person.

    “We were supposed to meet at the Unity Fountain, but we changed our venue at the last minute for security reason.

    “This intimidation will not stop us. We will not give up. We will not stop until the girls are rescued.”