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| Chiboks Girls |
Dead
or alive? This is one question many Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike will be
demanding an answer to in the days and even months ahead as they ponder the
fate of the 113 Chibok schoolgirls left in Boko Haram captivity.
The
fresh controversy over the missing girls was sparked yesterday, incidentally, the
fourth anniversary of their abduction, by a Nigerian journalist with links to
the terror sect.
Ahmad
Salkida, who had been contacted in the past by government to help in
negotiating the release of the girls, said only 15 of them are still alive.
Salkida,
in a series of tweets, said his investigations spanning three months showed that
many of the girls died from cross fires and bombardments of the security forces
that were intended to rescue them.
“I
regret to state here that only 15 out of the 113 #Chibokgirls are alive today,
based on my investigations in the last three months,” he said.
He
said even the 15 have been married off.
The
Defence Headquarters, which is co-ordinating a military operation to rescue the
girls and subdue Boko Haram said yesterday it did not believe Salkida’s claim.
Brigadier
General John Agim, the spokesman for the DHQ said the report was meant to
discourage the government from rescuing the girls.
Salkida
said abduction was not on the agenda of the Boko Haram insurgents when they set
foot on Chibok on that fateful day in 2014.
His
words: “Four years ago, a middle ranking BH commander led dozens of fighters in
search of food and other supplies in the remote town of Chibok. Like an
afterthought, they saw a chance to abduct school girls in GSS Chibok. The girls
at the time were preparing for their exams.
“The
dozens of BH fighters faced no opposition during the abduction, as they
struggled to convey their captives to the forest of Alagarno, the insurgents’
first war capital, which they named Timbuktu. It was in Timbuktu that they
organised most of the horror we experience today.
“Some
of the girls were lucky to have escaped on their way to Timbuktu that night,
because there were fewer fighters to hold more than 200 girls. At the
beginning, the group didn't know what to do with the girls, at least, not in
the first one month of their captivity.
“However,
what many people did not know was that two weeks into the abduction, the
Jonathan administration was already in touch with me for the peaceful release
of the girls. By the way, I was in self-exile after pressure from the same
government.
“I
took an excuse where I was doing a menial job in the UAE (but still reporting
the insurgency), to see the president, which was facilitated by Aliyu Gebi and
Labaran Maku. By the 3rd of May, I was already on my way from Abuja to
Madagali, Marwa and finally to a BH camp.
“I
got a proof of life for the president and another for the media in case I
didn't get back. The demands of BH then were simple: they wanted detained
members taken to Damaturu and they will move the girls to Buniyardi for swap
somewhere in between. There was no word on ransom.
“I
was provided with full military escorts from Abuja to Damaturu. Government was
supposed to make sure that 70 detainees were ready on my arrival in Damaturu to
meet 30 there. The rest of the negotiating team was in Abuja making sure the
prisoners were on a plane before my arrival.
“On
arrival in Damaturu, the military commander there was not briefed about my
work. He was merely told to expect a VIP? At that time, the girls had been
moved by Boko Haram, but there was no prisoners for exchange and I got a call
from the former CDS (chief of defence staff) to abort the operation.
“The
president later said before me that he did not call off the swap. There was a
credible window, but zero will to rescue the girls. BH were angry. I returned
to the UAE to continue my hustle, but received invitations not only by the
former administration, but the current government.
“Four
out of five processes that I was involved in, we came close to a swap deal, but
government, in most instances, did not provide the platform I presented with
the required expertise. And whenever government dragged its feet, Shekau would
shift the goal post.
“I
continued my reporting on the crisis, often critical of government & BH,
with both sides raising concerns. For me, I am a reporter before anything else.
Many officials consider me as somebody who was too independent minded for a
process that needs to be shrouded in secrecy.
“Government began to look for alternatives to conclude
what I had started and my former couriers stepped in as the primary
'negotiators.' It was a break for me because it is no longer negotiations, but
mere transaction. Another reason was my insistence that the process must be
domesticated
“I
was a prickle in the flesh of our leaders with my counter claims of official
narratives. A day after I exclusively released a video of the girls, something
I had v done in the past, I was declared wanted by same military that provided
me with escorts and military aircraft for assignments.
“
I was amazed to learn later that the terms that saw the release of some of the
girls was unfavourable than what I presented, but as my friend will say, even
if we come up with a cure for cancer, the war economy and elites would rather
die than accept a cure from a talaka.
“Today,
my painstaking investigations on the #Chibokschoolgirls revealed that just a
handful of the 113 #ChibokGirls are alive. Many of the girls have died as a
result of cross fires and bombardments of the security forces that no doubt
were intent on rescuing them.
“
I regret to state here that only 15 out of the 113 #Chibokgirls are alive
today, based on my investigations in the last 3 months and we have already seen
some of them in a video, which I exclusively obtained and was published on SR
website.
“What
is the status of the remaining 15 girls as far as negotiations are concerned?
My investigations also revealed that, they are no longer under the control of
#AbubakarShekau. According to sources, they are now 'married' and only their
'husbands' can decide their fates.
“
If they are divorced or the men are killed that is when Shekau's decision takes
precedence, and in this instance, since the girls have been indoctrinated,
their leader has no right to negotiate for their release, no matter the ransom
offered, reliable multiple sources said.
“It
will be unbearable to share the names of the 15 that are alive here. This is
the responsibility of government. When I was involved I regularly provided
proof of life. Government must demand that to prove me wrong or stop negotiating
for many of the girls that don't exist.
“The
secrecy around the condition of the #ChibokGirls and most recent #DapchiGirls
debacle by those involved is the reason people like me are out of the picture.
The fact remains that under the present circumstances there is NO room for
peace settlement.
“The
way out for these girls, is a military rescue or negotiate with individual
captors to release their 'wives' in return for some kind of deal, but this will
mean death to these fighters because the
terror group now sees the girls as part of their own and must be protected.
“How
come there is little or no information about the girls and both the parents and
campaigners are in the dark? Because government
resists independent reporting of the crisis, most of the reports are
choreographed and Nigerians are also not
ready to hear the truth or stand by it.
“I've
risked my life and that of my family in the past and even now, not only to tell
the story, but to play the role of a mediator and fact finder. But as soon as the
FG found alternatives, my sacrifices got an official ridicule and I am being
hounded.
“I
hold no other intention of doing this than the need to stir a debate to demand
more insights and bring closure to the parents. The nation must not fail you
from rescuing your daughters and also fail to tell you the truth.
“My
heartfelt condolences to the parents of the near 100 that have perished or have
not returned home and apparently not with their captors. But you must always
remember that your daughters were stronger than the rest of us that couldn't do
more to avert this catastrophe.”
