No news on Chibok girls – Army Chief

By Abdullahi M. Gulloma
Abuja

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah, yesterday said that even though the military have liberated Adamawa and Yobe states from Boko Haram, there was still no news about the over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok, Borno state, by the insurgents last April.

He was speaking to State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting President Goodluck Jonathan had with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, and heads of the security agencies in the country over the current fight against insurgency and the forthcoming general elections scheduled for March 28 and April 11.
Noting that the current situation in the North-eastern part of the country was reviewed by the security chiefs at the meeting, Minimah also spoke on the whereabouts of the Chibok schoolgirls, saying, “No news for now.”

The army chief stated further: “In all the liberated areas we have, we have also made enquiries. But the truth is when the terrorists are running away they also run with their families, and those we have come in contact have not made any comments suggesting that Chibok girls were there and taken away.

“But we are optimistic that as it becomes closer the territory is becoming elusive to them we will get further details on that.”

Yobe and Adamawa have been “liberated completely” by the multinational troops, he said.
Minimah added: “We look forward to the reinstatement of structures of government and governance.
“I am also sure you know that in Borno state out of the 27 local governments we have three local governments remaining, Abadam, Kalabaldi and Gwoza, and we are optimistic that with time we will liberate those local governments.”

Asked if the military would conclude operations in the North-east before the March 28 date for the polls, Minimah said fighting insurgency is not on the basis of permutations.
“It is our wish and we pray God gives that to us, but war is war.

War sometimes is not fought on some platforms of permutations,” he said.
Minimah declined to make a categorical statement on the conduct of elections in the areas liberated by the troops, saying he was not “competent to speak on the matter.”
He said: “INEC is still there, INEC has to re-assess the situation and evaluate because the areas have been liberated.

“But I can also tell you that not all structures of governance have been reinstated and they will need to be reinstated so that citizens can go back to their areas and it is then I think they can execute their rights as voters. How soon? I don’t know.”

Also speaking to the reporters about the meeting, Jega said: “I believe it went well,” adding that preparations for the elections were going on well.
The meeting was attended by Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Anyim Pius Anyim; Chief of Staff to the President General Jones Arogbofa (rtd); National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd); Attorney-General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, and  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali.

Also in attendance were the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan, Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Morro; Chief of Defence Staff, Mr. Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Adeola Amosu; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, and the Directors General of the Department of State Security (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).