We Were Misled On Missing School Girls, DHQ Admits

soldiers-The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) Thursday admitted that troops were still searching for majority of the girls abducted by suspected Boko Haram gunmen at the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

As at the time of going to press, the whereabouts of about 99 out of the 129 missing school girls remains unknown.

There was controversy on Wednesday when the Borno State Government contradicted the DHQ, which said troops had rescued 80 of the school girls, saying only 30 of them have been found.

The DHQ said the report forwarded to the public on the purported rescue of 80 girls was done in good faith and not intended to deceive the public or play politics.

Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, made the clarifications in a statement following the controversy over the fate of the abducted girls.

The statement said: “The controversy that has been generated around the efforts at securing the lives of the abducted students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok is unfortunate.

“The ongoing frantic efforts of security forces along with vigilante groups, including, hunters working to locate and free the abducted students have continued to be keenly monitored at the Operation Centre of the Defence and Army Headquarters as regular progress reports are being received from troops on the ground.

“In this regard, a report was filed in from the field indicating that a major breakthrough had been recorded in the search.  There was no reason to doubt this official channel, hence the information was released to the public immediately.

“Surprisingly however, the school principal, one of the sources quoted in the report, has denied all that was attributed to her – for whatever reasons.

“This is an unfortunate development, indeed, yet the Defence Headquarters would not want to join issues with anyone.

“It has to be reaffirmed however, that the report forwarded to the public on this issue was in good faith and not intended to deceive the public as is being interpreted following the denials by the school principal and government of Borno State.

“Like all other citizens, the military is deeply concerned to ensure that the students are safe and freed alive.  There is indeed no reason to play politics with the precious lives of the students.  The number of those still missing is not the issue now as the life of every Nigerian is very precious.

“In the light of the denial by the principal of the school, the Defence Headquarters wishes to defer to the school principal and governor’s statement on the number of students still missing and retract that aspect of earlier statement while the search continues”.

5 COMMENTS

  1. God help ur children… And d principle dat was unable to fight for his girls to kindly shout his mouth wen brave men and women re talking.. God bless nigeria and let dr b peace cuz we staying in northern part are at war

  2. INVITATION TO: “NATIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE”
    At a time like this of national socio-political and economic insanity mostly masterminded by animals in human skin, it becomes imperative that those with common sense for good reasoning walk quickly the way of peace to safety before we are all engulfed in the inferno of hate.
    The fearsome drum beats daily waking us all to reality that all is not well with us and of particular sad mention, the recent mind boggling and gory incident of kidnapping of 234 innocent school girls in Chibuk, 180 kilometers to Maiduguri Borno State capital; the massacre of about 75 and maiming of over 200 other travelers at Inyanya motors pack near Abuja metropolis ; Killing by blood thirsty ‘Boko Haram’ Islamic militants within spate of past three years of well over 4000 and maiming other thousands ; Daily rituals and seemingly of no end in sight killings of the innocents in villages and towns by Fulani herdsmen; thus making life totally unsafe in some States of northern part of the country; Dangerous threat to international trade by Sea Piracy along the Gulf of Guinea; Infamy to human existence and value incidents of Kidnapping for ransom in South- South area of the country shockingly including relations of President Goodluck Jonathan and elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark; Reckless threat by a State Governor to cut of his State from the nationhood of Nigeria; leadership wanton disregard of the rule of law; Ruinous engagement to the national economy by all and sundry in shameful acts of endemic corruption, capital flight, Big Bags of stolen money in politics, un-resolved political murders et al.
    In the altruistic sense that nothing can beat peaceful assembly to talk, debate and jaw-jaw in the quest for Peace in a house divided against its self and seemingly running to the edge of self annihilation; This is hereby please INVITING THE GENERAL PUBLIC and those seriously feeling concerned for the PEACE of Nigeria to a NATIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE holding JUNE 19 2014 at LAFIA HALL, LAFIA HOTEL, APATA IBADAN and with START UP TIME of 10 AM.
    Dr. Olapade Agoro (Aladura Patriarch) Owa’Tapa of Itapa Ijesa land, National Chairman, former Presidential Candidate, National Action Council (NAC) for the Converner: National Peace Initiative Forum (NAPIF)