Oshiomhole seeks unity against terrorism
FROM TIMOTHY OLANREWAJU MAIDUGURI & OLUWOLE FAROTIMI Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday identified 77 schoolgirls in the video released by Boko Haram on Monday. The Islamists sect abducted over 200 female students from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14.
Selected parents of the girls were invited to the Government House, Maiduguri to identify their daughters.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesman, Isa Gusau, said: “Seventy-seven of the girls in the video have been identified by their names at an exercise that involved some parents of the girls, fellow students that include escapees from abduction, some teachers, securitymen and some officials of the Borno State Government led by the Chief of Staff to the Government House, Abubakar Kyari. The parents and students were conveyed to the Government House in Maiduguri for an open identification exercise”.
The governor had on Monday directed the identification to be conducted with Chairman of Chibok Local Government Area, Ba’ana Lawan and other government officials. They were given the mandate to produce the video and play it before parents, other students especially those who escaped from captivity, teachers and management of the school as well as other community members in Chibok.
“But after the exercise in Chibok, Governor Shettima directed for fresh verification at the Government House to cross-check findings so as not to mislead the public. The second exercise confirmed the preliminary exercise in Chibok,” Gusau said.
The identified girls include Agnes Gafane, Saraya Stober, Hauwa Bitrus, Hajara Isa, Na’omi Philimun, Hauwa Abdu, Margaret Yama, Shitta Abdu, Jummai Muta, Ladi Paul, Roda Peter, Filo Dauda, Godiya Bitrus, Saratu Tauji, Ross Daniel, Hauwa Ali, Hajara Isa Amira, Luba Afga, Na’omi Luka, Saraya Emos Ali, Bilkisu Abdullahi, Mairama Ali, Maryam Ali Maiyanga, Dabora Abbas, Kabu Mala, Halima Ali, Yana Bukar.
Others are Solomi Pugu, Lydia Emmar, Luba Sanda, Saraya Samuel, Comfort Habila, Rejoice Shanki, Gloria Yaga, Mary Nkeki, Moda Baba, Hauwa Isuwa, Patient Jacob, Ladi Jajel, Abigel Bukar, Fanta Lawan, Zainabu Yaga, Aisha Lawan Zanna, Dokas Yakubu, Kabu Mala, Maryama Bashir, Hauwa M. Maina, Mary G. Dauda, Susana Yakubu, Maryam Abbas, Laraba John, Hanatu Nuhu, Na’ omi Bukar and Rifkatu Galang.
“The names are currently being compared with school records as well as names published some days back to ensure accuracy. The exercise continues at the Government House and it is hoped that more names will be established by parents, students and teachers as well as management of the affected school,” the statement added.
However, about seven selected parents with some rescued girls who appeared pensive while leaving the venue of the review at the Government House refused to talk to journalists.
“They can’t talk now, please, leave them for now,” Lawan, who led the parents to the Government House told journalists as he hurried them into three waiting cars. Also, the Special Adviser to the governor on ICT, Bashir Talbari ,said they “are still putting our report together. The Commissioner for Education will brief you tomorrow (today) about the outcome of the review.”
Meanwhile, residents of Chibok said yesterday that soldiers and foreign military experts are yet to arrive in the Sambisa forest despite reports indicating an ongoing military operation to rescue the over 200 abducted schoolgirls. “There are many soldiers in our town, but none of them has gone or is going into the forest. Nothing is happening in the bush where our daughters are being kept by Boko Haram,” one of the relations of the abducted girls, who craved for anonymity, said yesterday on phone.
Meanwhile, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria yesterday warned the Federal Government not to accept Boko Haram’s swap offer.
Its leader, Dr Mashud Fashola, who gave the warning at a press briefing held in Lagos, said that swapping the abducted girls for the detained militants would further empower Boko Haram.He said the proposal is un-Islamic.
According to him, “we shouldn’t accept it. Islam doesn’t accept negotiating with criminals. Boko Haram has nothing to do with the true teachings of Islam. To have kidnapped someone who didn’t fight you and demand for negotiation, it is out of the question.”
He noted that rather than negotiate with the sect, the Federal Government should further allocate more funds to provide the necessary logistics to the security apparatus to rescue the girls and arrest the hoodlums.
In a related development, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has urged Nigerians to support security agencies and government in their bid to tackle insecurity, saying this is no time for blame game.
He said, “on the issue of security, there is no party, no economic interest, no commercial interest, but national interest. When we win and secure the country, then we can do politics”.
He told State House correspondents after his private meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan that it was high time Nigerians wake up to the reality that terrorists are here, and the era we thought no Nigerian would wire himself to take his own life and other innocent persons were over.
Oshiomhole urged Nigerians to speak with one voice and unite to denounce terrorism and to work together with the Federal Government to fight terrorism decisively. According to him, “my attitude is that Nigerians have to wake up to the reality that terrorists are here, maybe few years back, many of us didn’t think that was possible. I thought we enjoyed living so much so that no one will wire himself to take his own life just because he wants to take the life of another innocent person.
“So for me on the issue of security, all of us must work together. It’s not a blame game. The reality is here. A terrorist doesn’t know your age, your region, your religion. The evidence is that everybody has become a victim. So, on this issue we must speak as a nation, united in a common voice to denounce terrorism and to work together with the Federal Government to fight terrorism decisively.
“I, also as a governor operating in one region of the country that you don’t decree security. There is a time lag between the measures you put in place and when those measures begin to come to fruition”.
The governor also urged the media to stop celebrating criminality, stressing that at the end of the day, this is the only country that is ours.
Oshiomole said: “But I think even you, the media, sometimes I worry about the headlines. We must not be seen to celebrate criminality because at the end of the day, this is the only country we have. Any other country can give you 10 years visa, not permanent residence. We have no other country.”
FROM TIMOTHY OLANREWAJU MAIDUGURI & OLUWOLE FAROTIMI Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday identified 77 schoolgirls in the video released by Boko Haram on Monday. The Islamists sect abducted over 200 female students from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14.
Selected parents of the girls were invited to the Government House, Maiduguri to identify their daughters.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesman, Isa Gusau, said: “Seventy-seven of the girls in the video have been identified by their names at an exercise that involved some parents of the girls, fellow students that include escapees from abduction, some teachers, securitymen and some officials of the Borno State Government led by the Chief of Staff to the Government House, Abubakar Kyari. The parents and students were conveyed to the Government House in Maiduguri for an open identification exercise”.
The governor had on Monday directed the identification to be conducted with Chairman of Chibok Local Government Area, Ba’ana Lawan and other government officials. They were given the mandate to produce the video and play it before parents, other students especially those who escaped from captivity, teachers and management of the school as well as other community members in Chibok.
“But after the exercise in Chibok, Governor Shettima directed for fresh verification at the Government House to cross-check findings so as not to mislead the public. The second exercise confirmed the preliminary exercise in Chibok,” Gusau said.
The identified girls include Agnes Gafane, Saraya Stober, Hauwa Bitrus, Hajara Isa, Na’omi Philimun, Hauwa Abdu, Margaret Yama, Shitta Abdu, Jummai Muta, Ladi Paul, Roda Peter, Filo Dauda, Godiya Bitrus, Saratu Tauji, Ross Daniel, Hauwa Ali, Hajara Isa Amira, Luba Afga, Na’omi Luka, Saraya Emos Ali, Bilkisu Abdullahi, Mairama Ali, Maryam Ali Maiyanga, Dabora Abbas, Kabu Mala, Halima Ali, Yana Bukar.
Others are Solomi Pugu, Lydia Emmar, Luba Sanda, Saraya Samuel, Comfort Habila, Rejoice Shanki, Gloria Yaga, Mary Nkeki, Moda Baba, Hauwa Isuwa, Patient Jacob, Ladi Jajel, Abigel Bukar, Fanta Lawan, Zainabu Yaga, Aisha Lawan Zanna, Dokas Yakubu, Kabu Mala, Maryama Bashir, Hauwa M. Maina, Mary G. Dauda, Susana Yakubu, Maryam Abbas, Laraba John, Hanatu Nuhu, Na’ omi Bukar and Rifkatu Galang.
“The names are currently being compared with school records as well as names published some days back to ensure accuracy. The exercise continues at the Government House and it is hoped that more names will be established by parents, students and teachers as well as management of the affected school,” the statement added.
However, about seven selected parents with some rescued girls who appeared pensive while leaving the venue of the review at the Government House refused to talk to journalists.
“They can’t talk now, please, leave them for now,” Lawan, who led the parents to the Government House told journalists as he hurried them into three waiting cars. Also, the Special Adviser to the governor on ICT, Bashir Talbari ,said they “are still putting our report together. The Commissioner for Education will brief you tomorrow (today) about the outcome of the review.”
Meanwhile, residents of Chibok said yesterday that soldiers and foreign military experts are yet to arrive in the Sambisa forest despite reports indicating an ongoing military operation to rescue the over 200 abducted schoolgirls. “There are many soldiers in our town, but none of them has gone or is going into the forest. Nothing is happening in the bush where our daughters are being kept by Boko Haram,” one of the relations of the abducted girls, who craved for anonymity, said yesterday on phone.
Meanwhile, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria yesterday warned the Federal Government not to accept Boko Haram’s swap offer.
Its leader, Dr Mashud Fashola, who gave the warning at a press briefing held in Lagos, said that swapping the abducted girls for the detained militants would further empower Boko Haram.He said the proposal is un-Islamic.
According to him, “we shouldn’t accept it. Islam doesn’t accept negotiating with criminals. Boko Haram has nothing to do with the true teachings of Islam. To have kidnapped someone who didn’t fight you and demand for negotiation, it is out of the question.”
He noted that rather than negotiate with the sect, the Federal Government should further allocate more funds to provide the necessary logistics to the security apparatus to rescue the girls and arrest the hoodlums.
In a related development, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has urged Nigerians to support security agencies and government in their bid to tackle insecurity, saying this is no time for blame game.
He said, “on the issue of security, there is no party, no economic interest, no commercial interest, but national interest. When we win and secure the country, then we can do politics”.
He told State House correspondents after his private meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan that it was high time Nigerians wake up to the reality that terrorists are here, and the era we thought no Nigerian would wire himself to take his own life and other innocent persons were over.
Oshiomhole urged Nigerians to speak with one voice and unite to denounce terrorism and to work together with the Federal Government to fight terrorism decisively. According to him, “my attitude is that Nigerians have to wake up to the reality that terrorists are here, maybe few years back, many of us didn’t think that was possible. I thought we enjoyed living so much so that no one will wire himself to take his own life just because he wants to take the life of another innocent person.
“So for me on the issue of security, all of us must work together. It’s not a blame game. The reality is here. A terrorist doesn’t know your age, your region, your religion. The evidence is that everybody has become a victim. So, on this issue we must speak as a nation, united in a common voice to denounce terrorism and to work together with the Federal Government to fight terrorism decisively.
“I, also as a governor operating in one region of the country that you don’t decree security. There is a time lag between the measures you put in place and when those measures begin to come to fruition”.
The governor also urged the media to stop celebrating criminality, stressing that at the end of the day, this is the only country that is ours.
Oshiomole said: “But I think even you, the media, sometimes I worry about the headlines. We must not be seen to celebrate criminality because at the end of the day, this is the only country we have. Any other country can give you 10 years visa, not permanent residence. We have no other country.”
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