Borno State Governor Says He Has Information on Students' Whereabouts
May 13, 2014
MAIDUGURI.— The governor of Borno State, Kashim Sheetima, said he has information on the whereabouts of about 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect. Shettima, according to the BBC, said he had passed reports on the sightings of the girls to the military for verification. The governor added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.
Meanwhile, Boko Haram’s leader said in a new video obtained by AFP yesterday that the abducted schoolgirls would only be released if the government freed militant fighters from custody.
Abubakar Shekau made the claim in a 27-minute video, which he claimed showed about 130 of the girls who were kidnapped from their school in the remote north-eastern town of Chibok nearly a month ago.
The girls’ disappearance has triggered global outrage, in part due to a social media campaign that has won the support of high-profile figures from US First Lady Michelle Obama to Pope Francis.
The militant leader said the girls shown in the video had converted to Islam and all were shown in Muslim dress, reciting the first chapter of the Koran and praying at an undisclosed location.
Boko Haram has made prisoner exchange demands before without success and Nigeria’s government again dismissed the request outright.
Asked if the government would reject Shekau’s suggestion, Interior Minister Abba Moro told AFP: “Of course.”
“The issue in question is not about Boko Haram . . . giving conditions,” he added.
A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from Chibok, which has a sizeable Christian community. Police say 223 are still missing.
Nigeria’s government has been criticised for its lack of immediate response to the kidnapping but has been forced into action as a result of international pressure.
President Goodluck Jonathan has accepted help from the United States, Britain, France, China and Israel, which have sent specialist teams to help in the search effort.
French President Francois Hollande has also called for a west Africa security summit to discuss the Boko Haram threat, which could be held as early as Saturday.
The United States and Britain have been invited, he said.
The latest footage shows girls in black and grey full-length hijabs sitting on scrubland near trees.
Three of the girls are interviewed. Two say they were Christian and had converted while one said she was Muslim.
All three pronounce their belief in Islam dispassionately to the camera, sometimes looking down at the ground and apparently under duress.
Most of the group behind them were seated cross-legged on the ground.
The girls appeared calm and one said that they had not been harmed.
There was no indication of when the video was taken, although the quality is better than on previous occasions and at one point an armed man is seen in shot with a hand-held video camera.
Shekau does not appear in the same shot.
— The Nation/AFP.
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| Abducted Nigerian school children shown in video on May 13, 2014. |
MAIDUGURI.— The governor of Borno State, Kashim Sheetima, said he has information on the whereabouts of about 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect. Shettima, according to the BBC, said he had passed reports on the sightings of the girls to the military for verification. The governor added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.
Meanwhile, Boko Haram’s leader said in a new video obtained by AFP yesterday that the abducted schoolgirls would only be released if the government freed militant fighters from custody.
Abubakar Shekau made the claim in a 27-minute video, which he claimed showed about 130 of the girls who were kidnapped from their school in the remote north-eastern town of Chibok nearly a month ago.
The girls’ disappearance has triggered global outrage, in part due to a social media campaign that has won the support of high-profile figures from US First Lady Michelle Obama to Pope Francis.
The militant leader said the girls shown in the video had converted to Islam and all were shown in Muslim dress, reciting the first chapter of the Koran and praying at an undisclosed location.
Boko Haram has made prisoner exchange demands before without success and Nigeria’s government again dismissed the request outright.
Asked if the government would reject Shekau’s suggestion, Interior Minister Abba Moro told AFP: “Of course.”
“The issue in question is not about Boko Haram . . . giving conditions,” he added.
A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from Chibok, which has a sizeable Christian community. Police say 223 are still missing.
Nigeria’s government has been criticised for its lack of immediate response to the kidnapping but has been forced into action as a result of international pressure.
President Goodluck Jonathan has accepted help from the United States, Britain, France, China and Israel, which have sent specialist teams to help in the search effort.
French President Francois Hollande has also called for a west Africa security summit to discuss the Boko Haram threat, which could be held as early as Saturday.
The United States and Britain have been invited, he said.
The latest footage shows girls in black and grey full-length hijabs sitting on scrubland near trees.
Three of the girls are interviewed. Two say they were Christian and had converted while one said she was Muslim.
All three pronounce their belief in Islam dispassionately to the camera, sometimes looking down at the ground and apparently under duress.
Most of the group behind them were seated cross-legged on the ground.
The girls appeared calm and one said that they had not been harmed.
There was no indication of when the video was taken, although the quality is better than on previous occasions and at one point an armed man is seen in shot with a hand-held video camera.
Shekau does not appear in the same shot.
— The Nation/AFP.
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