Anguish, Tears As 77 Girls Are Identified

Photo: Screenshot/Premium Times

Missing Nigerian Girls.

It was a day of anguish and tears yesterday when parents of the kidnapped schoolgirls and their classmates converged on the Government House, Maiduguri, Borno State, to identify the girls who were shown in a video released by Boko Haram on Monday.

The exercise which was painstaking and lasted throughout the day and last night, however, yielded some results, as parents, girls from Chibok secondary school and Borno State Government officials, were able to identify 77 of the abducted girls who featured in the video. Shortly after the terror sect released the video, the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, had directed that it should be reproduced and distributed so that the parents of the girls could identify their daughters.

But for other parents who could not identify their daughters, the pain and sorrow continued, with speculation rising that some of the girls who appeared in the video may have been kidnapped before April 14 from other communities in Borno.

The leader of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, had released a video on Monday showing over a hundred of the kidnapped girls who are believed to have been abducted from their secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, a month ago.

He had said that the girls, all dressed in the Muslim hijab and reciting verses of the Qu'ran, would only be released if the federal government accepts to exchange them for members of his sect who have been in government detention facilities for years.

But the United States Government, Senate President David Mark and Nigeria-Americans resident in the US rejected the prisoner exchange deal offered by Shekau for the return of the schoolgirls. The US, however, said it would respect the wishes of the federal government if it elects to go ahead to negotiate for the release of the girls.

Mark, on the other hand, rejected it outright, saying negotiating with the terrorists would not serve any purpose and would give them room to wreak more havoc on both the country and its people.

But the lack of consensus in government circles, which was evident on Monday when the video was released, continued yesterday when the Minister of Special Duties and Chairman of the presidential committee on reconciliation with Boko Haram, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, said the government was ready to negotiate with the terrorists on the release of the schoolgirls.

The minister said if Shekau is sincere, he should send representatives for talks, adding: "He should send people he trusts to meet the standing committee on reconciliation."

Notwithstanding the mixed signals from government, the rescue effort for the girls gathered pace with the deployment of manned surveillance aircraft to the North-east.

Also, a meeting between the Commander of United States African Command (US-AFRICOM), Lieutenant General David Rodriguez, who arrived the country Monday, and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and other military top brass, took place yesterday to discuss wide-ranging security issues, with particular reference to the kidnapped students.

Shettima: 77 Girls Have Been Identified Speaking on the abducted students, the Borno State governor yesterday confirmed that the girls shown in the video released by the terrorists, comprise some of those who were forcibly taken away from the Government Secondary School, Chibok on April 14.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Isa Gusau, Shettima said: "Fifty-four of the girls in the video were identified by their names in an exercise that involved some parents of the girls, fellow students that include escapees from abduction, some teachers, security men and some officials of the Borno State Government led by the Chief of Staff to the Government House, Abubakar Kyari.
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Nyanya Blast Mastermind Arrested In Sudan-FG

Federal Government Wednesday evening confirmed the arrest of Abubakar Sadiq Ogwuche, the co-mastermind of the Nyanya bombing where close to 100 persons were confirmed dead and many others wounded.

On Monday, a sum of N25 million was offered as reward for anyone who provides information that will lead to the arrest of Ogwuche and Rufai Abubakar Tsiga while International Police (Interpol) issued an international warrant of arrest on the man said to be hiding in Sudan on Tuesday.

During the Monday briefing by spokesperson for the DSS, Marylyn Ogar, five suspects  were paraded in connection with the incident. They include Ahmad Abubakar (aka Abu Ibrahim/Mai Turare), Mohammed Ishaq, Yau Saidu (aka Kotar Rama) Anas Isah and Adamu Yusuf and all confessed to being privy to the plot to bomb Nyanya.

At the daily briefing of the National Information Centre on Wednesday however, Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mr. Mike Omeri who was supported by other members of the group announced that the alleged terrorist has been arrested in Sudan and is presently awaiting extradition back home to face charges.

The arrest was through the collaborative efforts of Interpol, Directorate of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Police and the Military Attaché to the Nigerian High Commission in Sudan.

Ogwuche, who is a student of Arabic Language at the International University of Africa, Sudan is a British born Nigerian who deserted the Army in 2006. His service number was SVC 95/104.

He served in the Intelligence Unit of the Nigerian Army at Child Avenue, Arakan Barracks, Lagos, between 2001 and 2006.

He was allegedly involved in terrorist activities which led to his arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Nov. 12, 2011 on arrival from the UK.

However, he was released on bail to his father, Col. Agene Ogwuche (Rtd) on Oct. 15, 2012, following intense pressure from human rights activists, who alleged human rights violation.

Responding to a question Ogar said “We should be happy that wherever a criminal is hiding, he will be fished out. Even if Nigerians would hide him others will fish him out. These terrorists live in our midst and we know them. The world is a small place now.”

About the abducted Chibok girls, Omeri disclosed that international operations to rescue the girls have entered a full swing although he did not give details.

He refuted insinuations that academic activities in the North Eastern parts of Nigeria have been completely paralysed and explained that schools in dangerous areas were shut while the pupils were merged with other schools with adequate security provided.

On the inability of government to rescue the girls after one month in captivity, Omeri said it was not a peculiar situation.

“When Americans were held hostage in Iraq, even though America knew where they were being kept, it took 200 days for them to be rescued. We do not even know where these girls are. We will rescue the girls but it will not take 200 days”, he assured.

Borno Villagers Foil Boko Haram Attack, Kill Insurgents

Residents of Kalabalge Village in Borno State on Tuesday fought off invading Boko Haram gunmen in an early morning attack, killing several of them with about 10 also caught alive.

The insurgents had repeatedly attempted to attack Kalabalge, an agro-nomad community near the Cameroon borders, but failed to gain entry into the village on each attempt.

Residents said the villagers had made security preparations around the village that made it impossible for the Boko Haram insurgents to succeed in attacking the village which also serves as the headquarters of Kalabalge Local Government Area of Borno.

"We have told them (Boko Haram) that they cannot take their attacks to our village because, we have taken measures both security wise and spiritually to prevent them", said a vigilante member in the community who did not say his name when he spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on phone.

"They wanted to attack us just the way they did in Bama, Konduga and Damboa, but we got the wind of it and all of us laid ambush for them; when they neared the village, we opened fire using our Dane duns, double barrel rifles and bows-and-arrows, most of them who were shocked took to their heels, but many of them died, some that were injured have been caught alive and are with the security people as I am talking to you", said the vigilante member.

An official of the State Security Service who pleads anonymity confirmed the incident to reporters on phone.

"The insurgents tried to attack the village as at 5 a.m. of this morning (Tuesday) but the vigilante and some members of the village who got the hint of the attack laid ambush and were able to kill as many of them as possible, while about ten of them were caught alive; they also recovered two trucks from the insurgents", said the security source.

The Boko Haram has raided several villages in Borno killing thousands of people and destroying several property.

Nigeria police offer $386,500 for info leading to rescue of 223 kidnapped girls

ABUJA (REUTERS) -   Nigerian police offered a US$300,000 (S$374,283) reward on Wednesday for information leading to the rescue of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist rebels. The mass kidnapping last month by militant group Boko Haram, which is fighting for an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, triggered an international outcry and protests in Nigeria, piling pressure on the government to get the girls back. Public anger mounted after locals on Tuesday said another eight girls had been seized from the same remote north-eastern area by suspected members of the group. Police listed six phone numbers in their statement and urged Nigerians to call in with “credible information”. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has threatened in a video to sell the 223 girls abducted on April 14 from a secondary school in the village of Chibok “on the market”. The United States has offered to send a team to Nigeria to help the search efforts. Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped eight more girls from a village near one of the Islamists’ strongholds in north-eastern Nigeria on Monday night. The kidnappings, and other attacks by Boko Haram, have overshadowed Nigeria’s hosting of the World Economic Forum, which is due to start on Wednesday evening. Nigerian officials had hoped the event would draw attention to the potential of Africa’s biggest economy as an investment destination. Last month’s kidnapping occurred on the day a bomb blast, also claimed by Boko Haram, killed 75 people on the outskirts of Abuja, the first attack on the capital in two years. Another bomb in roughly the same place killed 19 people last week. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan welcomed the US offer to send an American team to Nigeria to support the government’s efforts to find the girls. Mr Obama told ABC the kidnappings “may be the event that helps to mobilise the entire international community to finally do something against this horrendous organisation that’s perpetrated such a terrible crime.” Britain has also offered to help, but Foreign Minister William Hague told Sky News on Wednesday that would be“difficult because this is primarily a matter for Nigeria”. Mr Kassim Shettima, governor of Borno state, where the insurgency is most active, was due to visit the scene of a deadly attack on the market town of Gamburu on Wednesday. At least 13 people died in that attack on Monday morning by suspected Islamist rebels, who also torched vehicles and houses.

Boko Haram attack in Nigeria border town kills hundreds

A grab made on May 5, 2014, from a video obtained by AFP shows the leader of the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau (centre) delivering a speech.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AFP) - An attack by Boko Haram Islamist militants in a north-eastern Nigerian town on the Cameroon border has killed hundreds of people, a local senator and witnesses said on Wednesday.

Senator Ahmed Zanna said the town of Gamboru Ngala had been left unguarded because the soldiers based there to protect the population had been redeployed north towards Lake Chad in an effort to rescue more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram on April 14.

Gunmen riding in armoured vehicles and on motorcycles stormed the town on Monday and razed much of the area.

Residents said survivors fled when the attack began, with the insurgents firing on civilians as they tried to run to safety into Cameroon.

Casualty figures had remained unclear in the hours after the attack because the town had been overrun by extremist fighters and it was not possible to return to assess the loss of life, witnesses had previously told AFP.

“From information reaching me from the town, the death toll from the attack is around 300,”  said Mr Ahmed. “All economic and business centres have been burnt. The market in the town which attracts traders from all over the area...has been completely burnt,” he added.

The senator’s claim that the military had been redeployed from the town in search of the missing girls could not be immediately confirmed by the military, which has not responded to repeated calls and text messages seeking comment on the attack.

The mass abduction has shocked Nigerians and sparked global outrage.

The United States has sent military experts to Nigeria to help rescue the hostages.