Seventeen days after 234 students of the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok, Borno State, were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists and the public outcry that have continued to greet the alleged uncoordinated approach of the security agents to rescue them, a major military operation is set to commence as four different battalions, a little more than a Brigade of the Nigerian Army, have been mobilised.
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| The four girls managed to escape from Boko Haram, PHOTO: BBC |
Meanwhile, Borno State Police Command and the Department of State Service, DSS, office in the state, yesterday, released new figures of the missing schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents, saying 276 students, not 234 were initially taken away.
This has contradicted the earlier claims by parents of the affected girls, who said 234 of their daughters were kidnapped when the insurgents attacked the school.
The state Police Commissioner, Lawal Tanko and the Director of DSS, Ahmed Abdullahi disclosed this at a joint press briefing held in Maiduguri last night.
Tanko said that the new figure was still not authentic as the actual numbers of the missing girls could only be verified when more parents, who were yet to know the whereabouts of the daughters, lodge a complaint.
The CP added that 530 students from Chibok and other neighbouring towns sat for the final examinations, and that 276 were abducted, while 53 others escaped.
This is just as former British Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown, has called for international military assistance, such as air support, to be offered to the Nigerian government in the hunt for the abducted girls.
Nationwide protests against the abduction also gathered momentum yesterday as concerned women and activists embarked on protests in Borno, Ibadan, Lagos and Kaduna states.
It was gathered that the battalions that will storm Sambisa forest are taking positions around all the access routes into the notorious forest.
Mobilisation
The battalions comprised all formations of the Army, including those from Signals Corps, Armoured Corps, Ordinance Corps, Intelligence Corps, Infantry Corps, Artillery Corps, Military Police Corps and the Medical Corps.
Also, fighter jets of the Nigerian Air Force and Police surveillance helicopters have been mobilised and are waiting for the command to begin the joint security operations for rescue efforts of the girls.
The battalions are said to have been positioned in the North, South, East and West of the Sambisa forest so that when the troops move in from all the angles, there will be no escape route for the terrorists.
Owing to the possibily of encountering bobby traps, land mines, ambush and other unknown traps, it was gathered that Air Force fighter aircraft, helicopter gunships and Police surveillance helicopters would carry out round-the-clock missions.
Aircraft and land equipment including air ambulances, vehicles with mobile medical facilities and a considerable number of medical personnel, are said to have been deployed for the operation to ensure that casualties, if any, are quickly attended to when necessary.
Launching offensive
It was gathered that since the forest shares borders with towns in Adamawa, Yobe, Borno and Cameroon, the different battalions would each launch their offensive from these locations.
Reporters were further told under condition of anonymity, that because of the high caliber nature of the arms and explosives in the hands of the terrorists, the Federal Government had made available to the security forces night vision equipment.
In this regards, specially trained counter terrorist units, anti bomb discovery units, the K 9 Dog units of the Army and the Police, the landmines unit of the army and other specialised units of other security agencies are all involved in this operation.
Are the girls still in Sambisa?
Speaking on insinuations that most of the girls may have been moved to Chad, Cameroon or abroad by the terrorists, the security source said: “Let us wait and see.
“All I can tell you is that since the incident happened, the borders close to Sambisa have been fortified and a lot of cordon and search operation has been going on. How they would have moved the girls abroad will be a mystery.”
When journalists expressed apprehension that a major military intervention involving air bombardments will lead to killing of the girls, the source said: “It doesn’t necessarily follow.
“On the contrary, the terrorists are afraid. They will be fighting to save their own lives. Many of them are cowards who cannot stand the army, that’s why they look for soft targets.
“They know they won’t achieve anything injuring the girls. We feel they just wanted to get attention with the girls in their possession. We have strategies in place to get the girls and ensure their safety if indeed they are in the forest. The plan is to rescue them alive.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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GOD HELP YOU GUYS OUR GALLANT SOLDIERS. I PRAY DAILY FOR YOU AND GOD WILL ALSO PROTECT YOUR VARIOUS FAMILIES. AMEN.
ReplyDeleteLet d almighty God take control. Amen
ReplyDeleteThe whole nation should be on prayer as the the military enback on the mision,until it end,my d good GOD protect them all
ReplyDeleteThe order should be ' Clear the Sambisa Forest of all insurgents within 30 days failing which all Army officers above the rank of Leiutenant Colonel should resign his commision" May be we need a new orientation. The army should be useful in something not just beating civilians. We should be tired of this constant show of shame and red faces. Terrorism is one thing but sheer incompetence and ineptitude is another. Any CEO that performs the way they have performed over this Boko Haram issue would have since lost his job.
ReplyDeleteThk you for ur comments, God will help them,don't mind insulting gudluk can they fight?
ReplyDeletemay God let the soldiers to see all the abducted children alive
ReplyDeleteJust feel like crying, I pray the Almighty God Himself will search himself in Jesus Name. Amen.
ReplyDeleteJust to be courteous with the trend, we hope they will not go leave these suphisticated arms with BH. We sense a rat, careful, remember there maybe saboteurs
ReplyDeleteThat is the work we want to govment to do since from the beginning, an we pray God Almighty to protect our soldiers ameen
ReplyDeleteAll these strategies shouldn't be disclosed publicly. I don't know way the journalists and the military can't learn. There mission to free those girls should be classed.
ReplyDeletePray God protect them all
ReplyDeletewhy r dey explaining dere approach publicly? so that d boko's will knw hw n whr to escape from or wat?
ReplyDeleteMay Allah help & protct you all & bring them safe.
ReplyDeleteAs if i am weeping,but i know you are fully protected insha allah by the god of these young children
ReplyDeleteMay the good lord protect the girls n the soldiers. Amen
ReplyDeleteNigeria should involve what America did to Sadam Hussain''operation sabisa storm'', comb all the forests, deforest all forests.
ReplyDeleteHonestly u get brain. Y must dey expose deir thoughs n action to d enemy. Y haven't we cn where bh will give out deir plans b4 hand. Some things should not b said to d public. They don't no who is read dis news now, haba.
ReplyDeleteI think journalists in the bid to outshine one another have become irresponsible and careless in reporting security matters. How can u mention tha army is using night vision goggles,type of ammunitions etc. Are u being helpful and patriotic by screaming headlines that portray our security as being inferior to BH? If the soldiers do their job, then they scream genocide!! It is not GEJ, commanding officers and security men and women that must be held accountable in this fight, all of us in our different niche must help: in the way we talk, share useful information and encourage people who are putting their lives on d line for our country.
ReplyDelete