
File Photo
The United States
of America has conducted surveillance flights over the Northeastern part
of Nigeria and have discovered what happens to be large groups of girls
in remote locations, raising rays of hope both in Nigeria and
internationally that the girls might be the girls kidnapped by Boko
Haram insurgents about 3 months ago, a report on Thisday newspapers say.
Since international forces arrived the
country to help rescue the girls, this would be the first time any clear
and definite information as to the location of the kidnapped Chibok
girls.
Only recently the Nigerian military claimed
to know where the girls were but were bidding their time so as to avoid
any casualty in the eventuality of the use of force in their rescue
mission.
Thisday reports:
The
surveillance suggests that at least some of the 219 schoolgirls still
held captive haven’t been forced into marriage or sex slavery, as had
been feared, but instead are being used as bargaining chips for the
release of prisoners.
According to
the Wall Street Journal, the US aerial imagery matched what Nigerian
officials said they heard from northern Nigerians who have interacted
with the Islamist insurgency: that some of Boko Haram’s most famous set
of captives were getting special treatment, compared with the hundreds
of other girls the group is suspected to have kidnapped.
Boko Haram
appears to have seen the schoolgirls as of higher value, given the
global attention paid to their plight, the officials said.
President
Goodluck Jonathan, who faces re-election in February, is under political
pressure to secure the girls’ release, with some people urging him to
agree to a girls-for-prisoners swap.
But his government has ruled out a rescue operation, saying it is unwilling to risk the girls’ lives, or a prisoner swap.
“We don’t
exchange innocent people for criminals. That is not in the cards,” said
Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, last week in an interview.
In early July, US surveillance flights over northeastern Nigeria spotted a group of 60 to 70 girls held in an open field, said two US defence officials. Late last month, they spotted a set of roughly 40 girls in a different field.
In early July, US surveillance flights over northeastern Nigeria spotted a group of 60 to 70 girls held in an open field, said two US defence officials. Late last month, they spotted a set of roughly 40 girls in a different field.
When
surveillance flights returned, both sets of girls had been moved. US
intelligence analysts said they don’t have enough information to confirm
whether the two groups of girls they saw were the same.
They also
could not verify whether those groups included any of the girls the
group has held since April. But US and Nigerian officials said they
believe they are indeed those schoolgirls.
“It’s unusual to find a large group of young women like that in an open space,” said one US defence official.
“We’re assuming they’re not a rock band of hippies out there camping.”
A wave of intermediaries acting on their own has tried to negotiate the girls’ release, Abati said, adding that the president has neither authorised nor discouraged those efforts.
A wave of intermediaries acting on their own has tried to negotiate the girls’ release, Abati said, adding that the president has neither authorised nor discouraged those efforts.
Several of
those intermediaries have said Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, has
ordered his fighters to treat the girls as valuable hostages—not sex
slaves—one senior Nigerian security adviser said.
“He gave a
directive that anybody found touching any of the girls should be killed
immediately,” the adviser said. “If true, it is cheering.”
It would also show that Boko Haram is trying to follow an al Qaeda tactic of swapping hostages for money and political gain.
Some accounts suggest the burden of providing for scores of girls has become a point of dissension in Boko Haram’s ranks.
In July, four
girls and women aged 16 to 22 hid in their bedrooms as Boko Haram
fighters broke into their home in the town of Damboa, they each said in
an interview last week. They feared they would be kidnapped.
When their
aunt, Fatima Abba, argued on their behalf, the roughly 20 Boko Haram
insurgents decided not to kidnap them—and instead began to complain
about the scores of schoolgirls they already have.
“They are
always crying. They behave like children,” Abba quoted the Boko Haram
fighters as saying of the schoolgirls. “We don’t want them around.”
Meanwhile,
the international effort to find the girls has waned: The US military is
now carrying out just one surveillance flight a day, mostly by manned
aircraft, totalling only 35 to 40 hours a week, said US defence
officials, as drones have been shifted back towards other operations.
But despite
the seeming drop in global attention on the issue of the abducted girls,
President Jonathan in Washington DC, yesterday called for a more
effective global action and implementation of all existing international
protocols against terrorism and violent extremism.
In Nigeria’s
country statement presented to the ongoing US-African Leaders Summit,
Jonathan demanded a more effective regime of international sanctions
against countries, organisations and individuals that sponsor terrorism
in any part of the world.
This was contained in a statement by Abati.
“The president observed that some of the security problems now faced by Nigeria and other African countries were transnational in scope and could not therefore be solved by any country acting alone.
“The president observed that some of the security problems now faced by Nigeria and other African countries were transnational in scope and could not therefore be solved by any country acting alone.
“He said
because terrorism, piracy and transnational-organised crimes had become
global in scope, greater regional and international collaboration was
needed to combat them.
“Several
African countries, including Nigeria, are now challenged by terrorism
and violent extremism. For several countries on the continent, terrorism
has become a real threat to social progress, peace and security.
“The violent
and criminal activities of Boko Haram in my country have captured the
world’s attention. This has been especially so since the terrorist
group abducted some girls from their school dormitory in northeastern
Nigeria in April.
“Nigeria may be the epicentre of Boko Haram terrorist activities at the moment, but its affiliation with international terrorist networks, dramatically increases its capacity and reach beyond Nigeria’s borders.
“Nigeria may be the epicentre of Boko Haram terrorist activities at the moment, but its affiliation with international terrorist networks, dramatically increases its capacity and reach beyond Nigeria’s borders.
“Nigeria is
doing everything possible to combat Boko Haram and violent extremism.
While we continue to enhance our intelligence and military capacities,
we are, at the same time working on political and socio-economic
solutions,” the president told his audience in Washington.
In an earlier
interview with the Washington Times, Jonathan narrated the various
efforts being made by the Nigerian government to ensure the release of
the abducted girls and securing an end to terrorism in the country.
One of the measures, according to the president, is by encouraging intermediaries, some of whom had offered to persuade the Boko Haram terrorist group to release the abducted schoolgirls.
One of the measures, according to the president, is by encouraging intermediaries, some of whom had offered to persuade the Boko Haram terrorist group to release the abducted schoolgirls.
A statement
issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public
Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said while appreciating the support of the
international community in the ongoing rescue efforts of the Chibok
girls, the president explained that government considers the safety of
the girls as very paramount, hence the adoption of several methods in
the operation.
While
describing a strict military approach to the rescue effort as
“delicate”, the statement quoted Jonathan as saying: “If it is to risk a
few dead bodies, it is easier. You can blast the place and carry the
corpses. But is that what we have to do? So it is delicate.”
The president
reiterated that the federal government had information on the location
of the kidnapped girls but was being mindful of the consequences of
invading the location to avoid a repeat of an episode in February 2013
in which an offshoot of Boko Haram killed seven foreign hostages in
northern Nigeria before authorities could rescue them.
“They are
ready to die,” he added about the Islamist militant group. “So when you
are dealing with that scenario, it is very different from the ordinary
kidnapping by criminals or people who don’t want to die. So it is very,
very delicate.”
This,
according to the president, was why the dialogue option was not being
ruled out. “We have set up a committee, what I call a dialogue committee
on the security challenge we have in the north, even before the
kidnapping of the Chibok girls. We have a team. And we encourage people
to assist them. We do negotiate,” he said.
“Quite a
number of people have come with different information. We encourage
them. But none of them has yielded any results yet,” he said.
Jonathan disclosed that Nigeria was building partnerships, both at the regional and international levels, to combat the threat posed by terrorism in our sub-region.
Jonathan disclosed that Nigeria was building partnerships, both at the regional and international levels, to combat the threat posed by terrorism in our sub-region.
“In this
enterprise, we are pleased to acknowledge the supportive role of the
United States. The assistance that we continue to receive from the
United States and our other international partners is proof indeed that
partnerships can multiply our strengths in addressing common challenges.
“We call for
an effective international sanctions regime that would hold accountable
any country, institutions and individual that finances terrorism in any
part of the world. This inaugural Africa-US Summit must also call for
effective action and implementation of all existing international
protocols on this critical issue,” Jonathan said.
But as the
president called for sanctions against terrorism, the Boko Haram
continued its reign of terror in Borno State, as it emerged that the
deadly sect had taken over another town in the state after the capture
of Damboa about a month ago.
The new territory under the control of the terrorist group is hilly Gwoza town, which succumbed to the firepower of the Islamic fundamentalist group Wednesday, August 6, 2014.
The insurgents were said to have first attacked the town at about 5 pm on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 but were repelled.
The new territory under the control of the terrorist group is hilly Gwoza town, which succumbed to the firepower of the Islamic fundamentalist group Wednesday, August 6, 2014.
The insurgents were said to have first attacked the town at about 5 pm on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 but were repelled.
They later came back at about 4 am on Wednesday, August 7, 2014 more determined and better equipped, and captured the town.
It was gathered that the insurgents killed eight persons during yesterday morning attack, torched the divisional police station, council secretariat complex and other buildings.
They also forced the residents to flee into the hills and neighbouring Camerounian villages.
It was gathered that the insurgents killed eight persons during yesterday morning attack, torched the divisional police station, council secretariat complex and other buildings.
They also forced the residents to flee into the hills and neighbouring Camerounian villages.
A resident of
the area who called from one of the hills said he had to flee with some
other residents, adding that Boko Haram terrorists besieged the town in
many utility vehicles and armoured cars.
He said the insurgents sent the military fleeing with the strength of their armoury and numbers.
He said the insurgents sent the military fleeing with the strength of their armoury and numbers.
“The
insurgents started shooting sporadically and setting houses, shops and
government buildings ablaze. This situation forced us to flee the town
and run to the top of the hills and mountains. As I am speaking to you
now, I am on the hilltop.
“They also
attacked the policemen at the Gwoza Divisional Police headquarters,
throwing explosives and using other dangerous weapons but I don’t have
the details as to whether the police station was destroyed or not,” he
said.
Another resident of the town, Yahaya Mbursa, told reporters on the phone that the insurgents also torched two churches, and snatched an unspecified number of vehicles at the bus park near the burnt police station, and fled into the hilltops of Mandara Mountains and Sambisa Forest.
Another resident of the town, Yahaya Mbursa, told reporters on the phone that the insurgents also torched two churches, and snatched an unspecified number of vehicles at the bus park near the burnt police station, and fled into the hilltops of Mandara Mountains and Sambisa Forest.
“The Boko
Haram dawn attack was very shocking and terrifying, as the gunmen burst
into this town through the mountain tops and western forest of Sambisa,
18 kilometres from this town. Some of the residents had to flee into
nearby bushes and the hills, near this market square.
“I cannot tell you the exact number of people killed while fleeing, but about dozen were shot dead,” said Mbursa.
Yuguga Ibrahim, a bus driver at the bus park, also said: “We had to run for our dear lives this morning (Wednesday, August 6, 2014) when the gunmen attacked this bus park and warned us not to panic, but surrender all the vehicles including the ones being loaded with passengers.
Yuguga Ibrahim, a bus driver at the bus park, also said: “We had to run for our dear lives this morning (Wednesday, August 6, 2014) when the gunmen attacked this bus park and warned us not to panic, but surrender all the vehicles including the ones being loaded with passengers.
“Some of us fled, while others took cover behind the buildings shivering, fearing they are going to shoot us.”
Confirming
the incident in Maiduguri, the former Gwoza Council Vice-Chairman, Mr.
Francis Mbala, said the sect members attacked Gwoza town and torched a
police station, churches and other public buildings, before snatching an
unspecified number of vehicles at the bus park.
“I am yet to
get the exact number of people killed in the attacks, but the reports
being sent to me on my phone indicated that there were casualties in the
multiple attacks.
“They are yet
to furnish me with the number of our people killed by the suspected
gunmen that burst into the town through the hill tops – the southern
entry point on Gwoza-Madagali Road and Damboa Road that leads to Sambisa
Forest,” said Mbala.
Also commenting on the attacks on Gwoza, military sources in Maiduguri told journalists that troops in the Bama-Gwoza axis, the ones in Damboa town and Bulabulin Ngarwa village in Borno State had embarked on special military operations against the insurgents and were closing in on them.
Also commenting on the attacks on Gwoza, military sources in Maiduguri told journalists that troops in the Bama-Gwoza axis, the ones in Damboa town and Bulabulin Ngarwa village in Borno State had embarked on special military operations against the insurgents and were closing in on them.
“The
insurgents are on a rampage, as they have no any other place to hide
now, other than to attack vulnerable towns and villages near the
mountain tops and Sambisa Forest,” said the military sources who was not
authorised to speak on the incident.
For months, Gwoza villages have come under several attacks by Boko Haram members. In one of such incidents, the terrorists blew up the bridge linking Gwoza to Madagali in Adamawa State.
For months, Gwoza villages have come under several attacks by Boko Haram members. In one of such incidents, the terrorists blew up the bridge linking Gwoza to Madagali in Adamawa State.
At that time,
the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrisa Timta, who was later killed by the
insurgents in a highway raid, had called on the federal government to do
something or his domain would be captured by the insurgents.
No comments:
Post a Comment