Nigerian troops ‘currently moving into Sambisa’

Mike Omeri, director-general of the national orientation agency and coordinator of the national information centre, says the government remains committed to rescuing the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and operations at present are going on in Sambisa and the areas where they are believed to be held.

Speaking at a security briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Omeri recalled the abduction of more 200 hundred schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014.

“On April 14, 2014, the nation woke up to the tragic incident of the first Nyanya bombing and the abduction of over 200 students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok by the Boko Haram terrorists,” he said.

“Yesterday marked one year of the horrific occurrences which were a tragedy and an experience that every Nigerian painfully shares alongside the immediate families of the victims, the people of Chibok and the international community. The federal government remains resolute in finding and returning them to their homes where they rightly belong. Consequently, we will continue to exert all efforts in ensuring their safe return.

“In recent months, our security agencies have made significant gains in their counterinsurgency efforts, with the arrest and prosecution of the suspects of the Nyanya bombings, as well as the liberation of 40 communities from the control of Boko Haram. Presently, the military is moving into the Sambisa forest after taking Alagarno, Gwoza, Bama, Malam Fatori, Abadam, among others. The fortification of the border routes by other members of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has also played a key role in these successes. Our intelligence indicates that the present military operation is focused in the area where the girls are believed to be held.

“The government is committed to returning and resettling people from the affected communities as soon as possible. It is also in the process of revamping the economies of these local communities, while guaranteeing safety and security. Presently, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the six north-eastern states and those displaced in neighbouring countries are being provided for by the government through the National Emergency Management Authorities (NEMA) and other agencies.

“It is noteworthy to inform that yesterday, the anniversary of the abduction was marked. During the occasion, we had the privilege of meeting some parents of the abducted girls. It was a fruitful and constructive meeting.

“In addition, we recognise that the public has the right and the need to know what the government is doing to defeat Boko Haram and find the girls and that is the reason this centre has consistently been open and accessible to the media. We take this obligation seriously and will continue to be forthcoming with information to the public and the press. Our people deserve no less.

“We thank our brave and dedicated soldiers, security personnel and all well-meaning Nigerians whose efforts and sacrifice have put Boko Haram on the run. This is a pointer that collectively, we can rid our country of terrorism and all other crimes. This way, the war – with its terror and the tragedy of it – will soon come to an end.”

Asked by TheCable if the government knew the location of the abducted schoolgirls since operations were now being focused on “where they are held”, Omeri simply said that the military was about to storm Sambisa in Borno state where they were initially speculated to be.