First excited with the news of Chibok schoolgirls’ release, then disappointed and confused
Dozens of Nigerians took to their preferred social media platforms to express their emotions and opinions. Understandably, many feedbacks were grim and ironical. Some blamed the authorities for not paying enough attention to the problem of insecurity on the whole and to the release of Chibok schoolgirls’ release in particular.
Still, the majority stressed the necessity to focus on the Chibok schoolgirls’ safe release.
Hamisu Gumel commented on Facebook: These people are morally bankrupt. Who would lie to mislead Nigeria in an issue that is supposed to be of national emergency? Edet Okon UYe expressed worst fears: No need to rescue this girls. They don’t exist anymore. Probably they are suicide bombers.
Samson Bukar Mshelmbula, however, defended the military: They are human. You mean you never make mistakes at all? It’s a honourable think for someone to make a statement and within 30 minutes retract same.
Chibok schoolgirls: rescued or not?
Yesterday, several Nigerian and foreign media outlets reported the break-through in rescuing Chibok schoolgirls from the Boko Haram captivity. It has been alleged that an undisclosed number of the girls have newly escaped and were seen near the Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri, Borno State. Almost immediately, however, the information has been denied by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters. It has all started with the tweets by the BBC Africa:
Additionally, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade, spokesman for the Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, has confirmed the information to Nigeria’s Premium Times (according to Premium Times reports).
Shortly after the initial reports, this message appeared both on official Twitter and Facebook accounts of the Defence HQ:
BBC Africa and, subsequently, the Nigerian media, have spread Olukolade’s explanation that “there were girls in military custody, but not those from Chibok as originally thought.“
Below is an audiofile of Olukolade’s interview (his statements start 2 minutes into the news report) obtained from the Inspiration FM 92.3 website:
Leadership’s “impeccable anonymous military source” disclosed: “What we have in the barracks were some 32 out of the 57 Chibok schoolgirls that were being conveyed to Kaduna where the state government had arranged new schools for them. And for them to get to Kaduna safely, they needed to be accompanied by some security personnel.”
The source added top officials in Abuja were extremely concerned about the development and reprehended the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army for allowing the seemingly false reports to appear in the media even before the Defence Headquarters or the presidency were briefed.
I’ve never said anything about the release of the Chibok schoolgirls – Olukolade
Chris Olukolade has taken to his official Twitter account to express his side of the confusing story in a series of tweets:
It would be recalled that almost 300 Chibok schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists on 14th April, 2014. On April 16, the military officials have claimed that the majority of the girls have escaped their captors, with only eight remaining in the terrorists’ hands. However, after the Chibok schoolgirls’ parents and residents of the town have challenged the report, this information was dismissed by the Army as incorrect. Reacting to the development, Mr. Olukolade had stated the report was “not intended to deceive the public”. By mid-October, the girls will have been in captivity for six months.
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