Abuja—Hope dimmed, yesterday, on the rescue of abducted Chibok girls from Boko Haram terrorists as the Chief of Army Staff, General Kenneth Minimah, declared that despite the liberation of some towns and villages in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States, the troops have not been able to establish the whereabouts of the schoolgirls.
They were abducted from Chibok about a year ago.
Addressing State House correspondents after the National Security Council meeting in Abuja, Minimah, however, expressed the hope that as more of the territories are recovered the girls may still be found.
He said: “No news for now. In all the liberated areas, we have also made inquiries but the truth is when the terrorists are running away they also run with their families. And those we have come in contact (with) have not made any comment suggesting that Chibok girls were there and taken away.
“But we are optimistic that as the war gets closer, the territory is becoming elusive to them (terrorists) and we will get further details on that.”
Only last month, President Goodluck Jonathan declared emphatically that the abducted girls were still alive and would soon be rescued.
In the heat of controversy last year over alleged negotiations with the sect to release the girls, which turned out to be a hoax, the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls had been married off to Boko Haram fighters.
Shekau issued a new video in which he denied claims of a deal to free the 200 girls kidnapped in April, saying the girls would never be released because they had been “married off” to fighters.
“The issue of the girls is long forgotten because I have long ago married them off,” he said, laughing. “In this war, there is no going back.”
Speaking in Hausa, the local dialect, Shekau denied claims by Nigeria’s military and Presidency that they had reached a deal to end five years of deadly violence in the country’s north-east as well as agreement to release the Chibok girls.
Elections in liberated areas
Meanwhile, General Minimah was also asked whether elections would be held in the areas recently liberated from Boko Haram terrorists.
He said the final decision on whether elections would be held in the liberated towns and villages in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States would be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after it has carried out its own assessment of the situation on ground.
He said: “Council reviewed the North-East operations particularly in the last three weeks and council renewed its confidence in the Nigerian Armed Forces and commended them too.
“You know Yobe and Adamawa States have been liberated completely and we look forward to the reinstatement of structures of government and governance.
“I am also sure you know that in Borno State of the 27 local governments we have three local governments remaining, Abadam, Kalabaldi and Gwoza and we are optimistic that with time we will liberate those local governments.
“I am not competent to speak on the elections.
INEC is still there.
INEC has to re-assess the situation and evaluate because the areas have been liberated.
“But I can also tell you that not all structures of governance have been reinstated and they will need to be reinstated so that citizens can go back to their areas and it is then I think they can execute their rights as voters. How soon? I don’t know.”
‘INEC preparing for polls in 36 states’
However, Mr. Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to Prof. Attahiru Jega, told Vanguard last night that the commission was preparing for elections in all 36 states of the country.
He said the commission’s plans had all along been directed towards holding elections in the whole country.
Asked if the military operations could be concluded before March 28, the army chief said: “It is our wish and we pray God gives that to us, but war is war. War sometimes is not fought on some platforms of permutations.”
The chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, who briefed the council simply told State House correspondents that the briefing “went well.”(Vanguard)
