The Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, has said there is no possibility that the abducted Chibok schoolgirls are still within the Sambisa Forest.
He said there were possibilities that the girls had been split into groups and taken into different parts of the country.
The minister said this on Monday just as the Northern Elders' Forum urged the Federal Government to negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of the girls, abducted from the Government Girls' Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, since April 14.
The NEF was commenting on a report that the sect had soft-pedaled. The sect, which initially said that its commanders should be released, is now saying that wives of its members in detention should be set free.
But the minister, who spoke on a television programme monitored by one of our correspondents in Abuja on Monday, said the area surveillance done by the security agencies did not indicate that the girls had been taken outside the country.
He said, "There are no signs that our girls are still in the forest. There are also no signs that they have been taken outside the country as being said by some people.
"Some said they have sighted them in Cameroon and Central Africa Republic. There are no proofs to show this because the air surveillance done by our combined security agencies did not show anything otherwise."
He also explained why it was difficult to fight the members of the Boko Haram sect.
Maku said that since members of the sect lived among the people, it would be difficult to open fire on them.
He said people referring to the security agencies and the Nigeria Army as being weak should have a rethink.
He stated, "The girls may not be in the bush. This type of war is very difficult. There are no better armies in this part of the world than the Nigeria Army. It is because of the sensibility of the war we are fighting. The army is not weak."
But NEF urged the Federal Government to accept an offer by the Boko Haram sect to exchange the Chibok schoolgirls for its detained members.
The spokesman for the forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, on Monday.
He said what was uppermost in the minds of most Nigerians was for the girls to be reunited with their families and that no sacrifice was too much to make to get them back.
Abdullahi said, "Whatever the case maybe, whether they are asking for their members to be released in exchange for the girls or whether they are asking for family members or wives and children who are in detention to be released in place of the girls, the distinction doesn't have to be that important."
According to him, what is important is the fact that the insurgents have identified their people who are being held and they have expressed a willingness to have them back in exchange for the girls.
"I understand that their members in detention are in their hundreds in various detention centres. So, if they are asking for just 237, I think it is worth the effort," he said.
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FG shld not agree to that cos these children are in one of those northern elders house, the are only fighting for their pocket and the FG should hold their northern leaders rsponsible cos they know abt it.
ReplyDeletethe northerners should stop this stupid politics first the kill the Christians in the north after Jonathan win election ,the allowed BH who are staying in their mist to killed and bomb churches , they also bomb many places where there are more Christians . haba north what are we telling the world now .if the minister is admitting that BH are in the mist of people in north that is to say he knows them ..and he is speaking for them to me as a muslem what happen to this country is anti Islam ,he should understand that people like buhari and other respected muslem have condemn this . also as a northern muslem he should aloud the northern Christians to talk first then the view of the families of this girls who many are Christians ..as a northerner my religion do not allowed me to suppress anyone in any way
ReplyDeleteNorthern elders should go to hell, all of you knows exactly what is happening in this country, because you guyz think you're born to rule why others that feeding Nigeria with their own oil are born to save, this girls are not in any forest. ...search houses all over the borno state include government house. ...Jonathan don't trust any single soul in North. ..
ReplyDeleteAngo shld be arrested immediately so all of his inciting statement, he's a professor of boko haram. He has been working against Jonathan all these while. How did a former vice chancellor of d popular Ahmadu Bello become a spoke man for extremist??? Food for Thought
ReplyDeleteA haramite in disguise.
ReplyDeletedon't agree!
ReplyDeleteNEF should be ashame of themselves, this proves that you all are sponsors of BH, when the FG use Army to tackle BH you all condem it, BH boom schools and kidnap children , you blame FG for unemployment & Poverty, BH Kidnapped Chibok girls you seek negociation with terrorist. There is no mising Girls ,We all support Asari Statement b\cos u all are bunch of Idiots distabilizing GEJ government. Secceession is the last option & solution to BH.
ReplyDeleteBoko haram grand papa! you elders of Kano State should buried your head in shame and the shame you have brought to this generations even your 10th generations to come, what a shame, my heart bleed for this country due to our selfish old cargoes
ReplyDeleteGod punish u and ur generation. Idiot, let them release terrorist for negotiation to continue their bombing. May u b a victim of their bomb if u support them.
ReplyDeleteTHE NORTHERNERS' GOVERNORS ARE AWARE OF THE ADOPTED GIRLS COS OF THE WAY THE ARE SOUNDING AND THE VIDEO CLIPS THE HAVE BEEN WATCHING , AND NOW NEGOTIATION!
ReplyDeleteFOR WHAT?
The whole Muslims are useless TERRORISTS.....Check out all over the world the way they are causing problems and TERRORIZING the whole environment.....Very useless set of TERRORIST Religion......When you idiots were killing Christians,None of you talked about Negotiation, you want to negotiate now.......Come and negotiate let's see.........You all knows what is happening all over the North,Call those idiots to order if you people like,if don't like,allow them to be killing and kidnapping....... Law of CAMA is at work.......The blood,cry and prayers of Christians Massacred in the North is hunting you fools.
ReplyDeleteI thought NEF does not exist cox for so long we Ave not heard they voices and guess what their first word was to blab. Just like a baby who is learning how to talk. But you all lie cox the day of judgement is here.
ReplyDeleteThose elders are fools. Now that the fire you set is consuming you, wait until you are consumed. Idiots
ReplyDelete