As the 200 plus schoolgirls who were abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram from their secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, enter their second month in captivity, the federal government has still shown no sign of coming close to recovering them from their abductors.
Instead, since the second video on the kidnapped girls was aired four days ago, the world has been subjected to discordant tunes from government officials on whether to negotiate or not to negotiate with the terrorists to get the girls back and reunited with their families.
The best their parents and the rest of the world have to hold on to, is the video, wherein the identity of 77 of the girls who featured in it, reciting the Qu'ran, has been established.
In a statement yesterday, the Borno State Government restated that the exercise to identify the other girls in the video was on-going with a new set of parents, teachers and students, even as it released the names of the 23 names of girls who had been identified on Tuesday night.
The statement issued by the Special Adviser, Communications to the Borno State Governor, Isa Gusau, said: "The exercise is continuing with a new set of parents, teachers and students. The three sets of people (parents, teachers and students) were brought to Maiduguri in batches.
"Another set is to continue the identification exercise tonight (last night) and we will get back to you (media) with any update.
The 23 girls whose names were released are: Fibi Haruna, Laraba Mamman, Saraya Yanga, Hauwa Mutan, Deborah Abari, Hauwa Nkeki Mbalala, Rejoice Musa, Yana Joshua, Esther Ayuba, Helen Musa, Mwa Daniel, Hannatu Ishaku, Yayi Abana, Mary Ndamah and Monica Enoch.
Others included Amina Ali, Ashe Ezekiel, Lydia Simon, Naomi Bitrus, Kawuna Lalai, Kawuna Luka, Lydia Habila and Margaret Watsai.
Britain Surveillance Planes Join Search But as their parents continue to keep hope alive over the fate of their daughters, Britain joined the United States (US) by offering Nigeria surveillance aircraft and a military team to help with the search for the girls, Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday. "Today I can announce we have offered Nigeria further assistance in terms of surveillance aircraft, a military team to be embedded with the Nigerian army in their HQ and a team to work with US experts to analyse information on the girls' location," he told the British parliament.
Specialist teams from the United States, Britain, France and Israel have been sent to help in the search operation, which Nigeria's military has said is concentrated on the Sambisa forest area of Borno State. US surveillance planes have been scouring a vast swathe of northern Nigeria looking for the girls.
Send US Forces Even if Nigeria Disapproves, Says McCain In addition, US Senator John McCain, who is renowned for his straight talking charged the US military to rescue the schoolgirls, even if the Nigerian government disapproves. The longtime US senator and two-time presidential candidate told US online news website, The Daily Beast, that the US should feel no compunction to withhold sending special operations forces to find the kidnapped girls - especially in a country led by "some guy named Goodluck Jonathan".
"If they knew where they were, I certainly would send in US troops to rescue them, in a New York minute I would, without permission of the host country," McCain said on Tuesday. "I wouldn't be waiting for some kind of permission from some guy named Goodluck Jonathan," he declared, in reference to Nigeria's president. As he suggested last week in a CNN interview, McCain insisted that if he were US president, his administration would have prepared special forces ready to enter Nigeria if a rescue opportunity was apparent. His rationale for military intervention rests with the United Nations charter, he said, since the mass abduction was akin to "crimes against humanity".
"The United Nations Charter recognised crimes against humanity, this fits into the category of crimes against humanity, and that gives any nation the licence if they can to stop a crime against humanity, the same reason we should have if we could have freed the people at Dachau or Auschwitz," McCain said. McCain stressed that the US need not receive permission from the Nigerian government, as Abuja would give thanks to any American effort that ends up saving the young girls.
"I would not be involved in the niceties of getting the Nigerian government to agree, because if we did rescue these people, there would be nothing but gratitude from the Nigerian government, such as it is," he said. "If we rescued these young girls, it would be the high point of the [President Obama's] popularity," McCain said. But a top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Corker, told The Daily Beast he would only advocate the use of US forces if the Nigerian government approved.
Boko Haram Leader an 'Obscenity', Says Soyinka Adding his voice in condemnation of the kidnapping of the teenagers, Professor Wole Soyinka yesterday described the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, as an "obscenity" who is likely to be incapable of dialogue, as the government considers opening talks with the terrorists to exchange the girls for suspected criminal members of the sect held in government facilities.
Soyinka told AFP by phone from Los Angeles that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, was "high on religion and drugs". "For me, we are dealing with a sub-human specie," Soyinka said. "How do you dialogue with that kind of obscenity?" he asked. "It is a bind for the nation because the girls must be secured," Soyinka said, voicing sympathy for the officials who must assess the pros and cons of talking to Shekau.
Soyinka pointed out that critics of foreign intervention were showing a lack of compassion for the teenage hostages. "I don't know what they are talking about," he said. "This is a global crisis. In this situation, where we have these kinds of killers, homicidal maniacs who can go into schools and kidnap hundreds of girls... all help is welcome," Soyinka added.
He said for the international community, given such horrifying violence, intervening is "not a favour, it is a duty". Jonathan's administration "had better be very, very careful, because people are in pain and they have been in pain for a very, very long time". If the protests continue, Soyinka said, the government "had better get out of the way".
Committee, Defence Minister, Security Chiefs Meet Meanwhile, the presidential fact-finding committee on the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, Minister of Defence, Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Inspector General of Police (IG), yesterday met behind closed-door to further strategise on the rescue of the girls.
The committee, which was recently inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan, is chaired by Brig-Gen. Ibrahim Sabo (rtd). During the meeting, the Minister of Defence, Lt-Gen. Aliyu Gusau Mohammed (rtd), decried the mass kidnapping of the schoolgirls, adding that the "Boko Haram menace ought to have been dealt with a long time ago". The minister, according to a statement by the spokesman of the committee, Kingsley Osadolor, pledged the support of his ministry in the realisation of the committee's objectives.
Gusau was also said to have made useful suggestions, for which the committee's chairman expressed gratitude. In his opening remarks at the interface with the NIA, Sabo reiterated the borderless nature of terrorism.
He emphasised the crucial role of the NIA in the fight against terror in general, and in combing neighbouring countries in search of clues that could lead to the location and safe rescue of the abducted schoolgirls. In his response, Director General of NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, said: "The incident (Chibok abduction) has awakened a new sense of humanity and collective pain to all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria."
The statement said Oke also briefed the committee on measures taken so far by the agency in the joint intelligence and security efforts to locate the whereabouts of the kidnapped schoolgirls and ensure their safe reunion with their respective families. According to Oke, "We will not know peace until these girls are found," adding: "We must agree as a people that this is the time to end the menace of Boko Haram."
At the session with the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar explained the circumstances of the abduction and the immediate steps taken by the police force. He told the committee members of the on-going investigations and the pursuit of leads that might assist in securing the freedom for the girls. The IG also articulated perspectives on the mass abduction, which the committee members acknowledged would greatly facilitate their work.
Jonathan Restates Nigeria's Appreciation In another development, the president yesterday reiterated Nigeria's appreciation of the support it has received from Britain and others in the efforts directed at locating and rescuing the teenage girls. The president spoke in audience with the British Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Mark Simmonds at the Presidential Villa.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan said the federal government would also welcome international support for its plans for the socio-economic rehabilitation of the North-eastern states after the Boko Haram insurgency has been substantially curtailed.
"President Jonathan told Mr. Simmonds that he looked forward to meeting the Heads of State and Government of Benin Republic, Chad, Niger and Cameroon this weekend in Paris for talks on how Nigeria and their countries can strengthen and intensify collaboration against Boko Haram and other criminal organisations.
"If we all collaborate more, it will be easier to eradicate Boko Haram and terrorism" the statement said. Simmonds reassured the president of Britain's commitment to giving Nigeria all required assistance to find and safely rescue the abducted girls. "We are keen to support Nigeria in every possible way and help you overcome the present challenges" he said
Also yesterday, the president received solidarity calls from the Prime Minister of Algeria, Abdelmallek Sallel, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan.
The duo expressed their willingness to share their counter-terrorism experiences with Nigeria and support the on-going search and rescue operations in any possible way. The president later received the United Nation's Secretary-General's Representative in West Africa, Ambassador Saidi Jinit.
He told Ambassador Jinit that the federal government would welcome help from the United Nations for the coordination of a planned victims' support programme and a Victims Support Fund. The federal government also confirmed that joint international operations to rescue the girls have commenced.
The Coordinator of the National Briefing Centre on Security, Mr. Mike Omeri, who made this known yesterday in Abuja, said the technical details could not be disclosed.
"On Chibok, international operations have commenced in collaboration with the Nigerian military. The operations are being carried out in conjunction with the Nigerian troops.
"So far, some personnel have come into the country and the effort is to complement what we are doing in terms of surveillance, intelligence gathering and other knowledge and experience sharing systems," he stated. When asked about the attack in Ran, Kala-Balge Local Government Area in Borno State, where community members were said to have attacked and killed 200 insurgents, Omeri said: "I don't have details of the events at the Kala-Balge.
"In any event, if that is true, it means the massive campaign that we have launched to mobilise citizens to resist these attacks is paying off."
Complete List of 77 Names of Girls in Alphabetical Order
1
Abigel Bukar
2
Agnes Gapani
3
Aisha Lawan Zanna
4
Amina Ali
5
Ashe Ezekiel
6
Bilkisu Abdullahi
7
Comfort Habila
8
Deborah Abari
9
Deborah Abbas
10
Dorcas Yakubu
11
Esther Ayuba
12
Falta Lawan
13
Fibi Haruna
14
Filo Dauda
15
Gloria Yaga
16
Godiya Bitrus
17
Hajara Isa (Amira 3rd Speaker)
18
Halima Ali
19
Hannatu Dauda
20
Hannatu Ishaku
21
Hannatu Nuhu
22
Hauwa Abdu (1st Speaker)
23
Hauwa Ali
24
Hauwa Bitrus
25
Hauwa Isuwa
26
Hauwa M. Maina
27
Hauwa Mutah
28
Hauwa Nkeki Mbalala
29
Helem Musa
30
Jummai Mutah
31
Kabu Mallah
32
Kawuna Lalai
33
Kawuna Luka
34
Ladi Jajel
35
Ladi Paul
36
Laraba John
37
Laraba Mamman
38
Luba Afga
39
Lugwa Sanda
40
Lydia Emmar
41
Lydia Habila
42
Lydia Simon
43
Magret Shettima
44
Magret Watsai
45
Magret Yama
46
Mairama Ali
47
Mairama Bashir
48
Mary Dama
49
Mary G. Dauda
50
Mary Nkeki
51
Maryam Abbas
52
Maryam Ali (Maiyanga)
53
Monica Enoch
54
Mwa Daniel
55
Mwada Baba
56
Naomi Bitrus
57
Naomi Bukar
58
Naomi Luka
59
Naomi Phillimon
60
Patient Jacob
61
Rejoice Musa
62
Rejoice Shanki
63
Rhoda Peter
64
Rifkatu Galang
65
Rose Daniel
66
Saratu Thauji (2nd Speaker)
67
Saraya Amos Ali
68
Saraya Samuel
69
Saraya Stover
70
Saraya Yanga
71
Shikta Abdu
72
Solomi Pogu
73
Suzana Yakubu
74
Yana Bukar
75
Yana Joshua
76
Yayi Abana
77
Zainab Yaga
Michael Olugbode , Jaiyeola Andrews, Adebiyi Adedapo and Zacheaus Somorin
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