News is spreading today that most of the 234
Borno schoolgirls that were abducted from their school by Boko Haram have been
ferried abroad to Chad and Cameroon after which they were married off to sect
members on N2,000 bride price each.
The girls were taken from their hostels at the
Government Girls Secondary School Chibok two weeks back and so far about 40 had
escaped in the days after the incident. Parents and school authorities said at
least 234 of them were yet to be found.
Dr. Pogu Chibok told Daily Trust yesterday that
Dr. Pogu Chibok told Daily Trust yesterday that
“They ferried them in canoes to Cameroon and Chad republic after they were wedded off to Boko Haram members who bidded (sic) and paid N2,000 each as dowries on their heads,” Bitrus said.
“The dowry was paid to their captors, the very people who abducted them from their school. One of them who married one of the girls took her to a border town close to Cameroon where villagers saw her.”
“So many sources have informed us that the girls have been taken from Boko Haram camps in Sambisa Forest to Cameroon. Many villagers said they saw the girls being transported in trucks and then in canoes.
“On Sunday they were taken to Dikwa area where they (Boko Haram) have a camp there. From there they took them to Marte, then Monguno before they were finally ferried in canoes. It was yesterday we got this latest report of them being married off to the insurgents by their captors.”
He said sources in Cameroon told them that most
of the girls were now being held at an area where the Boko Haram operates in
Cameroon ‘Crying day and night’.
On whether military authorities were informed about the movements of the girls, Bitrus said:
On whether military authorities were informed about the movements of the girls, Bitrus said:
“The military was alerted on Tuesday about two weeks ago when some villagers saw many of the girls being transported in trucks, some with even their school uniforms. The villagers tried calling the senator representing the zone but they couldn’t get him so they went to Bama barracks where they reported the matter.
“At the Bama barracks they were told that they must put it in writing, that that is the military tradition. At that time if the military had intervened they would have stopped them from reaching their destination.
“And the fact that for nearly two weeks we have been talking about this and nothing is being done, then there are questions we have to ask. Nobody did anything.”
Bitrus sobbed as he spoke to our reporter yesterday.
“What is happening with the Nigerian nation? I think we demand some answers. Today it is happening to these unfortunate girls from Chibok, tomorrow it may be somewhere else and that is why all Nigerians must rally around us on this,” he said.
“If these captors are trying to achieve a political point, I think the best thing is for us to try to make sure that they don’t succeed but from all indications they are succeeding due to inaction of government. It is helping these people in achieving their objectives.”
Earlier yesterday, Bitrus spoke to the BBC Hausa radio saying:
“parents of these girls have been angry that despite the existence of government, there has not been concrete effort from government on the matter.
“Female parents have been crying day and night, because nobody knows what government is doing about the whole issue. All that we read in the papers is that Nigerian Army have done this or that.”
When contacted over claims that the military was informed of the movement of
the schoolgirls, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris
Olukolade, told Daily Trust:
“The concern and anxiety from all quarters is quite understandable. Please be assured that as much as the forces may not disclose details of action being taken to secure the freedom of the girls, every information received on the subject is duly analyzed and acted upon as necessary.
Source: Daily Trust“No information is being ignored in the concerted effort to ensure the safety and freedom of the girls. Just pray for the successful outcome of all efforts please.”
HBC: This is a Nightmare… I pray that this story is not true otherwise, It will be a big shame on the president’s office. Gbam!!!
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