Nigerian army sends 2 divisions to search for schoolgirls
Adetokunbo Fakeye
Nigeria’s Army has deployed two divisions to search for more than 200 schoolgirls abducted last month by Boko Haram militants in the northeast of Nigeria. According to Nigeria Defence spokesman, Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, the soldiers are stationed in the border region close to Chad, Cameroon and Niger to work with other security agencies. The government of President Goodluck Jonathan has faced criticism for its slow response since Boko Haram militants stormed a secondary school in the village of Chibok, near the Cameroon border, on April 14, and kidnapped the girls while taking exams. Gen. Olukolade in a statement said, “The facilities of the Nigerian Army signals as well as all the communication facilities of the Nigerian Police and all the services have been devoted into coordinating this search. “The major challenge remains the fact that some of the information given here turned out in many occasions to be misleading …. Nevertheless, this will not discourage the collaborative efforts that are on-going. “The air force has flown more than 250 sorties, a signals unit and the police are involved and a multinational task force has also been activated and surveillance equipment is deployed in support of the search teams.” The United States, Britain, France, China and international police agency Interpol have all offered assistance. Jonathan on Friday said he believed the schoolgirls remained in Nigeria and had not been transported into Cameroon. It was the first indication he has given of their whereabouts. The attackers were based in the Sambisa area of Borno state, a Boko Haram stronghold near the school from where the girls were abducted, he said.
