Reports hold that some
powerful Nigerians are sabotaging the efforts of the Federal Government and
other concerned citizens to ensure that the over 200 girls kidnapped by Boko
Haram are set free.
This was
disclosed by the President, Civil Rights Congress, Mr. Shehu Sani, in a recent
exclusive interview with Sunday Punch. Sani, who has been involved in efforts
to get government and Boko Haram to discuss the fate of the girls in the past,
said some powerful individuals, whom he refused to name, ensured that the talks
derailed. But that government has begun fresh talks with the group to secure
the release of the girls.
“What I want to tell you is that something
is being done about it but I’m not disposed to making it public. Most times,
publicising these issues always lead to sabotage by those who do not want the
girls freed. I will not mention the names of these Nigerians. However, I can
tell you that real and genuine moves are going on, which I am a part of. The
claim that the girls have been abandoned is not true. There are genuine efforts
by government and some individuals, who are discreetly making efforts toward
getting their (pupils’) safe return home.”
Reports have
claimed that the girls who were kidnapped from the Government Girls Secondary
School, Chibok, Borno State, have been sighted in camps inside Sambisa Forest,
in some border towns near Cameroon and in the Central African Republic. The
human rights activist noted that the girls could only be freed either
forcefully or through dialogue and negotiation.
Former
President Olusegun Obasanjo; Sani; and a United Arab Emirates-based Nigerian
freelance journalist, Ahmad Salkida, who had communication channels with Boko
Haram, had offered to mediate between the government and the sect. But none of
these efforts have yielded fruits.
He added
that the foreign intervention sought by some Nigerians had not produced
results.
The United
States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Israel had offered to assist
Nigeria in rescuing the school girls. Both the US and the UK had sent security
experts and technology to locate the abductees and secure their release. While
the US claimed to have located the girls, France had specifically opposed
negotiations with the sect. Speaking on efforts made by these countries so far,
Sani said:
“I am not aware of any serious efforts made
by any foreign country. I am not aware of what is happening on the side of the
US forces. From the side of dialogue or negotiation, I have not seen any
serious intervention or involvement of these countries.”
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