Also, yesteday, President Goodluck Jonathan declared that although the Chibok school girls have not been rescued 39 days after their abduction, he was not slow in the rescue operation as he was in constant touch with his security chiefs on a daily basis. French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jacques Champagne de Labriolle, who made the declaration in Abuja said his country would not hesitate to offer intelligence support, pointing out that collective effort was needed to tackle insurgency.
He made the remarks while speaking with newsmen at
the reception organised by the Chinese Embassy to mark the assumption of duty
of the new ambassador to Nigeria, Gu Xiaojie in Abuja. He said: “As a matter of fact, we live in a
situation that is very different from what happened before. Before, we had
international network and people on ground and each with a local course, the
connection now is much simpler to establish.
“Therefore, we believe the mobilization against
Boko Haram should be the same as the mobilization we have seen before against
al-Qaeda and for the same reason.“ These people cannot stop; it will only be
getting worse and (it) has to be dealt with collectively. It is well known that a lot of connections
are existing among a kind of dark side of globalization, where you can find
drugs, money and people,” he said. Labriolle
said his country offered to assist in finding the missing girls because “Boko
Haram problem is not only a Nigerian problem but a regional and international
problem.
As for the girls, the idea is to localise where
they are; this requires intelligence. What can be done in Nigeria on the ground
will be done by Nigerians, not by us. What we can do is to help in
intelligence. Locating 200 girls is both easy and difficult, depending on the
size of the population of a country.”Also speaking to newsmen, the Israeli and
Chinese ambassadors, Uriel Palti and Gu Xiaojie respectively, spoke on the
commitment of their countries to flush out insurgency in Nigeria.For Mr Palti,
“Boko Haram, Alkeem, Al-Shabbab in Somali, etc, are all part of the arms of
Iran; the influence of Iran, Al-Qaeda influence.
“We share the challenge of Nigeria. So, we have to
fight international terrorism legally, militarily, religiously, by all means.” According to him, the Israel Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned these terrorist attacks and offered Nigeria the
assistance of Israel in combating terrorism.
On the composition of the Israeli team in Nigeria, he simply said: “I
won’t go into details but as I told you, the telephone call between Prime
Minister Netanyahu and President Goodluck (Jonathan) was a sign of great
friendship between Israel and Nigeria. ”His
Chinese counterpart, Mr Xiaojie, who condemned terrorist attacks in the
country, said his country’s position was against any form of terrorism,
especially violence against innocent people.
He said China had taken note of Nigerian
government’s request and was ready to help in combating the insurgents. Boko Haram: Again, 29 killed in Borno border
villageAt least 29 people were killed in Chukungudoua village of Gamboru Ngala
Local Government Area of Borno State when some Boko Haram terrorists laid
ambush on Wednesday, morning.
The attack, according to a resident, Mallam Bakura
Mustapha Alhaji occurred barely 10 days after the withdrawal of troops from the
village. Chukunguduoa village,
predominantly Kanuri and Hausa extraction is a border community between Gamboru
and Kala Balge council areas of Borno and Cameroon Republic and about 174
kilometers drive from Maiduguri, the state capital. Within this month, some terrorists invaded
Gamboru Ngala Main Market, killing over 300 people, mostly traders with the
setting ablaze of the entire market and over 100 vehicles. Likewise, two weeks
ago, over 200 members of the terrorists group were killed in three villages of
Kala Balge Council area by residents after all the weapons used by the
terrorists failed to work/operate in the botched attack.
Sources said, the gunmen using 15 vehicles and
several motorcycles with AK-47 rifles, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and
petrol bombs stormed the village at about 11am on Wednesday when most residents
were on their farms and opened fire on harmless residents, killing 11 people,
while 18 of those who were charmed against gunshots were crushed by the
terrorist’s vehicles.
Another source said, after killing about 29 people,
many residents of the village also sustained gunshot wounds and are now
receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Cameroon Republic. He said the whole buildings in the village
were completely razed down with only three structures remaining untouched by
the attackers, while the 29 dead bodies were still lying on ground as most of
the villagers who were supposed to bury them according to Islamic rites all ran
away from the village. They are taking refuge in Gamboru Ngala and other
neighbouring villages of Cameroon.
“As I am talking to you now, we have counted 29
dead bodies on the streets, out of which, 18 were crushed down by vehicles
while 11 have gunshots wounds on their bodies. The whole houses and shops were
razed-down, the village is deserted with no presence of security operatives. Some of our people have fled to Gamboru Ngala
council area, while others fled into neighbouring Cameroon villages. Please I
am appealing to you to tell government about the situation we found ourselves
in. It is really shocking, 76-year-old Mallam Jidda Yaro Mamadu said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon
Jubrin could not be reached for confirmation at press time, but a top security
source, confirmed the incident.“ Yes we
received a message that one of the border villages in Gamboru Ngala was
attacked by some group of terrorists on Wednesday morning killing 29 people,
while the entire village was set ablaze by the insurgents.”Chibok girls: I am
not slow—GEJ Meanwhile, 39 days after
the abduction of the over 200 Chibok girls in Borno State, President Jonathan,
yesterday, condemned in strong terms the insinuation by some Nigerians that he
was slow in bringing back the abducted girls.
He stated this while addressing the protesters from
#Bring Back Our Girls campaign group in Abuja.He said he was not slow in acting
because he was in constant discussions with security chiefs on a daily basis as
well as having constant consultations with regional and global partners on the
terrorist threats.He also said that the Federal Government took action from the
first day the girls were abducted, and directed the security services to go
after the abductors, noting that the search for the girls had now assumed
regional and global proportion and that Nigeria had received strong support
from neighbouring countries and the international community, including the
United States, China, the United Kingdom and the entire African continent.“
It is wrong and most unfair to suggest that there has
been slow reaction to this kidnapping. From the very first day this occurred,
the Federal Government took action directed our security services to go after
the abductors. The search for our daughters has now assumed regional and global
proportion and our nation has received strong support from neighbouring
countries and international communities“
We are working hard with other nations in order to secure the release of
the girls as soon as possible”, the president said. The President was represented by the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim
and FCT Minister, Bala Muhammed, and Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke
Akinjide, Minister of Environment, Mrs. Lawrencia Laraba-Mallam, Minister of
Niger-Delta, Mr. Darius Ishaku,Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku,
Senior Assistant to the President on media, Dr. Rueben Abati and the Senior
Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Dorun Okukpe among others.The
President also in the speech read by the Minister of State FCT, Oloye Olajumoke
Akinjide, further explained that federal government as part of efforts to
rescue the abducted girls had mobilized all resources, military and diplomatic
in the search for our girls.
Similarly, he stated that the security forces also
had reached out to the Borno State government and community members for support
and collaboration to bring back the girls, adding that the search for the girls
is receiving support.“So far, the search for our girls is on and is receiving
global support. Nigeria in collaboration with Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin
republic have all agreed to establish a single centre for sharing intelligence
on the activities of terrorist across our national boundaries. Apart from those
efforts in the public space, the President said federal government had
initiated consultations with so many stakeholders to explore alternative
matters of resolving this crisis.
As commander in chief, I meet with security chiefs
almost daily and is in constant consultations with regional and global partners
on this terrorist threats. As early as January 23 2013, I asked the world help
in tackling terrorism, I later met with President Obama during the United
Nations Assembly meeting in September 2013, where also I requested for the
support of the United States of America.
Government belief we must all come together to
fight terrorism and that protest should be directed to the terrorists who have
abducted our girls. Our security men are among the best trained in Africa, they
are making so much sacrifice in the fight against terror,” he said.In her
response, one of the leaders of the group and former minister of education, Dr.
Oby Ezekwesili, said the group felt disappointed for not meeting with the
President stating that none of the issues raised in their letter was addressed
in his speech and sought for another audience with him, describing the meeting
as a colossal missed opportunity.
Let Mr. President know that none of the issues
raised have been addressed. We actually felt sad at the missed opportunity,
there is a colossal missed opportunity but citizens that gathered here today
are citizens who are saying, we do not want any fractious fight against the
common enemy; that we want a united fight. “We are not the type that you should
be telling about the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan. We will demand from
President another opportunity of a meeting of addressing the issues that
citizens have put before our commander in Chief. We seek the opportunity of a
united nation inspired, mobilised and sincerely spoken to and we want to have
that discussion and end to terrorism,” she posited
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