ICC Note
The Nigerian military, aided by the United States, Canada, Israel and China—among others—continues to struggle to ensure the safe return of more than 240 schoolgirls still being held captive by Boko Haram. A radical Islamic insurgency bent on establishing a separate Islamic State in northeast Nigeria, Boko Haram has committed many abductions to reap ransoms to finance its campaign of terror against the nations’ Christians, moderate Muslims, government officials and educators. In a recent statement, a spokesman once again confirmed the military’s commitment to the girls’ safe recovery. Learn everything you need to know about Boko Haram’s heinous schoolgirl abductions here.
07/04/2014 Nigeria (allAfrica) – The Defence Headquarters yesterday reiterated the reason for the military’s seeming sluggishness in the rescue of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists: it wants the girls back to their parents alive.
On April 14, or 81 days ago, the terrorists struck at Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, and abducted no fewer than 200 girls under the cover of darkness. Except for a handful that escaped, the rest are still being held captive inside the Sambisa forest.
Speaking during an interaction with senior editors at the LEADERSHIP Corporate Headquarters, Abuja, yesterday, the director of information at the Defence Headquarters, Major General Chris Olukolade, said some elements were trying to politicise the operation while they (the military) were careful not to be drawn into politics.
“The best way to get them (the abducted girls) alive is what we are trying to do. To the best of our knowledge, they are still accessible. If we tried to force our way in, they may be killed. If we force our way there, they will kill them. This is what we want to avoid at all cost; rescue operations of that nature should not be done in a hurry,” the military spokesman said. “The chief of defence Staff (CDS) came out to tell the world that we had an idea of where these girls were. We didn’t think it would impress anyone to go and bring their dead bodies back to their parents. Sambisa (forest) is not impenetrable. But let me say it here: they mined almost everywhere around where they are keeping these girls.”
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