Chibok, Borno State where over 100 girls
were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents has
described as false, the claim by the Defence
Headquarters that only eight of the pupils had
yet to regain their freedom.
The denial on Thursday by the principal,
Mrs. Asabe Aliyu, was corroborated by the
parents of the girls, who said the military had
by the DHQ's claim shown that it could not
be trusted to free their children and wards.
The DHQ spokesman, Maj.Gen. Chris
Olukolade, had said on Wednesday that out of
the "129 girls" kidnapped, only eight were still
missing.
He was also quoted as having said that
soldiers who freed the pupils released them to
the principal.
But Aliyu told the British Broadcasting
Corporation Hausa Service news monitored in
Maiduguri, that apart from the 14 girls who
escaped from their abductors on Monday
night, she was not aware that any other had
been released.
She said the claim by the military was "a
blatant lie because I have not spoken to the
Defence Headquarters spokesman."
The parents of the abducted students also on
Thursday came hard on the military, saying
they were willing to go in search of them
since the military had shown it could not be
trusted.
The parents had after the news from Defence
Headquarters thronged the school premises
expecting to take their daughters home only
to be told that they had not been freed.
One of the parents, who spoke to the BBC,
said, "We were disappointed with the
statement coming from Defence Headquarters'
spokesman that the girls were rescued. Our
children are still in the bush and if the
military has failed, we will go after the
insurgents ourselves even if it means
sacrificing our lives."
As the denials came, Olukolade insisted that
the principal gave the information that nearly
all the girls had been freed.
He however said the military would reconcile
the claims after which a clear response would
be given.
"We want to reconcile the issues, when we do
so, then we will speak on it," the DHQ
spokesman added.
Olukolade noted also that the military was
intensifying efforts to ensure that those still in
the abductors' den were freed.
But the Borno State Government yesterday
said that as of Thursday, it had taken custody
of 30 girls.
The remaining 99, it added, might be with the
military rescue team.
The State Commissioner for Education, Musa
Kubo, who made this known in an e-mail to
journalists explained that apart from the 14
who had earlier fled the insurgents' camp,
16 others were brought in by their parents.
The commissioner's mail read, "I am right at
the Government Girls' Secondary School,
Chibok, the scene of the unfortunate
abduction. At the moment we have taken
custody of 30 girls.
"There is an increase of 16 students whose
parents returned them to school after they
ran home on the day of the attack. We had
made announcements and called on parents
whose children and wards ran home.
"The aim is for us to take proper account of
our 129 pupils who were in the hostel on the
day of that unfortunate attack. You may recall
that 14 pupils had earlier escaped from
captivity as explained by Governor Shettima
on Wednesday.
"By our records of 129 pupils being at the
hostel at the time of that unfortunate
incident, we are expecting the return of about
99 pupils who might be among those said to
have been rescued by the military.
"Myself, the principal of the school, parents,
other pupils and residents are awaiting the
return of our pupils. We have no reason to
doubt or contradict Wednesday's
announcement by the Defence Headquarters,
given the fact that the Military personnel are
those leading the search and rescue
operations along with civilian volunteers.
"We are very hopeful that perhaps, the freed
pupils are safely with the military and being
brought to us. We pray that not just all our
pupils return in good health but also all the
security agents and volunteers safely return in
good health after a successful and patriotic
rescue effort."
He however appealed to "parents to remain
prayerful and hopeful that by the grace of
God all the pupils will return to us in good
health."
Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima had on
Wednesday said his government would give
N50m to anyone that could provide an
information that could lead to the release of
the female pupils.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, has
tasked security agencies to do everything
possible to secure freedom for the
remaining schoolgirls in the abductors' den.
The speaker said they needed to close ranks in
their search and rescue operation to ensure
that the girls were freed.
In a message to mark the Easter, released in
Abuja on Thursday, Tambuwal said freedom
for the girls would be the most cheering news
to parents this period.
He added that terror threats in the country
were real and urged all Nigerians to unite to
fight forces that had become their common
enemies.
His message was contained in a statement by
his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam
Imam.
Tambuwal observed that Jesus Christ brought
"salvation to the human race", adding that
Nigerians must reciprocate the gesture by
serving God with commitment and love.
However, the death toll in Tuesday attack by
some gunmen on Wukari, Taraba State has
risen to 50.
Though the police claimed that only seven
people were killed, initial reports had put the
death toll at 20.
One of our correspondents gathered that
among the dead were the elder brother of the
State House of Assembly Committee Chairman
on Information, Culture and Tourism, Daniel
Ishaya Gani, and some security personnel.
The development came as leaders of the Tiv
community in Taraba State asked their people
to relocate to Jalingo, the state capital, for
their safety.
Over 70 persons said to have been inflicted
with varied degrees of injuries are presently
receiving medical attention in hospitals in
Wukari.
It was gathered that the hospitals in Wukari
were overstretched, prompting the evacuation
of more than 26 injured victims to the
Specialist Hospital in Jalingo.
The Red Cross Officer in the state, Mr. Umar
T. Waziri, confirmed to newsmen that there
was crisis going in Wukari. He however said
that it was not possible to ascertain the
number of casualties. He said, "Our men are
on the ground but for now, no information
on the death toll. As we talk now, gunfire is
still going on there."
The spokesman for the Tiv community, Mr.
Zaki Uosu, said at a conference in Jalingo
on Thursday, that they were not satisfied
with the current security arrangements in the
state.
He expressed regret that the incessant attacks
had targeted the Tiv in the state and had led
to killings and destruction of properties.
Uosu accused chairmen of the councils,
traditional rulers and the Divisional Police
Officers of failing to protect the "defenceless
innocent Tiv" from attacks by herdsmen.
He said, "We feel sad that despite the
repeated attacks on the Tiv in Taraba State,
nobody has come to our help.
"Silent killing of the Tiv by herdsmen is still
rampant in most of the rural areas. We are
scared by the rate at which the crisis is
spreading and being defenceless and innocent
of the happenings, we have to flee before it
gets too late. We have therefore collectively
resolved to take refuge in the state capital."
The Police Public Relations Officer in the
state, Joseph Kwaji, said that only seven
persons were killed and that normalcy was
fast returning to the area.
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