The Nigeria police on Wednesday announced a
cash reward of N50m for anyone who
volunteers information that could lead to the
location and rescue of the female students
abducted from Government Secondary School,
Chibok, Borno State.
The police action came on the heels of local
and international clamour for the Federal
Government to ensure the safety and rescue
of the girls.
The female pupils, about 234 of them, were
abducted from their hostels on April 14.
The violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, had on
Monday released a video in which the sect
leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls were
abducted by members of his group and that
he would sell them off.
"I abducted your girls; I will sell them in the
market, by Allah,"the maniacal leader of the
sect said.
A statement by the Force Public Relations
Officer, Frank Mba on Wednesday in Abuja
called on the public to be part of the solution
to the current security challenge in the
country.
It reassured the citizens that any information
given would be treated anonymously and with
utmost confidentiality.
The Force urged all patriotic citizens with
useful information to contact the following
numbers: 09-2914649; 08081777309;
08055547536; 08032125050;
08034617591and 0803596973.
Foreign help
Beyond condemning insecurity in the country,
however, foreign countries have responded
positively to Jonathan's call for assistance.
The Presidency said on Tuesday that Jonathan
had accepted an offer from the United States
as part of efforts to rescue the Chibok girls.
"President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday
welcomed and accepted a definite offer of
help from the United States of America in the
ongoing effort to locate and rescue the girls
abducted from the Government (Girls)
Secondary School, Chibok three weeks ago,"
the President's spokesman, Reuben Abati, said
in a statement.
The US said it would send a security team to
Nigeria to help assist the government in
finding the abducted girls.
White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, said
that the US would provide military personnel,
intelligence and hostage negotiators to help
the government.
Carney said, "There is a utility to having U.S.
military personnel and experts on intelligence"
on the ground in Nigeria, "and hostage
negotiators to assist and advise the Nigerian
government as they deal with this challenge."
Abati also said on Wednesday that offers had
come from the British Prime Minister, Mr.
David Cameron, and the Premier of China, Mr.
Li Keqiang, to assist the Federal Government
in its efforts to rescue the schoolgirls.
The presidential spokesman, in another
statement on Wednesday said, "In furtherance
of efforts by the Federal Government to locate
and rescue the girls abducted from the
Government (Girls) Secondary School, Chibok,
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on
Wednesday requested and received a
commitment from Britain to deploy its
intelligence gathering resources in support of
Nigeria's security agencies currently engaged
in the search and rescue operation.
"President Jonathan who spoke with the
British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron,
on the phone after meeting with Premier Li
Keqiang of China who is on an official visit to
Nigeria, asked and received a promise of the
deployment of British Satellite Imaging
capabilities and other advanced tracking
technologies in support of the ongoing effort.
"The President thanked Mr. Cameron, the
British Government and people for their
concern over the fate of the abducted girls
and their willingness to provide concrete
assistance to save the girls from the terrorists
who seized them from their school.
"He told the Prime Minister that the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs will liaise with the British
Government through its High Commission in
Nigeria to work out practical details of the
promised support and collaboration against
terrorism.
"The Peoples' Republic of China has also
offered to assist in the effort to rescue the
abducted girls.
"In talks with President Jonathan earlier today,
Premier Li Keqiang promised that his country
will make any useful information acquired by
its satellites and intelligence services available
to Nigeria's security agencies.
"Mr. Keqiang assured the President that China
will support Nigeria's fight against terrorism
in every possible way, including the training
of military personnel for anti-insurgency
operations."
France also on Wednesday offered to send
security service agents to Nigeria to help in
the rescue efforts, the French Foreign
Minister, Laurent Fabius, said.
"The President has instructed … to put the
(intelligence) services at the disposal of
Nigeria and neighbouring countries," Fabius,
according to Reuters, told lawmakers.
"This morning he asked us to contact the
Nigerian president to tell him that a
specialised unit with all the means we have in
the region was at the disposal of Nigeria to
help find and recover these young girls.
"In the face of such ignominy France must
react. This crime cannot be left unpunished,"
Fabius said.
