BREAKING NEWS:BOMB BLAST IN NYANYA, ABUJA

The  residents of Abuja  were hit with another blast again this evening. A loud explosion was heard around Mopol Junction Bus Stop, Nyanya, Abuja. The explosion was reported opposite Nyanya bus park, scene of the last explosion which killed over 70 people. Deaths toll records about 120

Details coming in ....

NIGERIA IS NOT A POOR COUNTRY SAYS PRESIDENT JONATHAN

Jonathan at the may rally at eagle's square, Abuja

The President today during a rally at the eagle's square Abuja, faulted the world bank statement that Nigeria is one of the five  poorest nations in the world, he said "Nigeria is not poor". The president deemed it worthy to give exemplary instances to showcase the wealth of the Nigerian people by equating it to luxurious material acquisitions. Read in the words of President Goodluck Jonathan;

PICTURE STORY: NEW TRAINS SET TO HIT THE RAILWAYS BY NRC

Photos and Story Credited to LIB

Got these train images from Lindaikeji's blog. Compared to the noisy and scruffy looking trains we had, this is the new deal and will be rolling out real soon. According to LIB, these trains were Ordered by the MD of NRC, Dr. Adeseyi Sijuwade. See more photos of the well furnished train. I hope it lasts(lols)...

NATIONAL CONFAB EXTENDED, DELEGATES EARN MORE

The on-going National CONFAB has been extended by six weeks. The conference which commenced on the 17th of march 2014 was expected to last for three months, ending June 19 will now end July 31. There was no specific reason given for the extension, However a spokesperson for the conference, James Akpandem, said he is not aware of the extension. Reports say, the extension is contained in the work plan to be released to delegates next Wednesday.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the conference leadership had agreed to seek extension from the federal government after it met with leaders of its 20 Standing Committees on Monday.
The standing committees were expected to send their report to the conference leadership by Wednesday, with many seeking extension.

With the extension of the conference, the 492 delegates will be getting N4.5 million more instead of the 9million at the end of 3months, bringing the summation to N13.5 million at the end of the conference.

Each of the 492-member (with three absentees) conference receives about N3 million monthly.

KEMA CHIKWE SLAMS GOVERNMENT ON ABDUCTED GIRL'S, SHETTIMA REPLIES HER

Kema Chikwe

The women leader of the Peoples Democratic Party Kema Chikwe, challenged the Government and all stakeholders of the Government Girl's College, Chibok to release the names and pictures of the abducted girl's, to ascertain the girl's who were abducted, she said this during a joint prayer session held in Abuja yesterday.

Mrs Chikwe went further to say“Let the truth be told with God’s intervention. Our hearts are bleeding, not just broken. Please, God, send the Chibok girls home to their mothers and families. We plead with the school authorities to release their names and their pictures. Let God touch the hearts of those who know and have perpetrated this heinous action.” 

The governor of Borno state did not take the insunations made by Kema Chikwe lightly. The special Advicer to the governor on media Isa Gusau released a statement which reads: 

Governor  Shettima, Borno State

“We have read with very rude shock, media reports attributed to National Women Leader of the PDP, raising doubts on whether indeed, schoolgirls were abducted at Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok on April 14, 2014 or not. This is clear case of bringing politics into a serious national issue that bothers on the lives of over 200 schoolgirls which is highly unfortunate.

“We find that report a big affront that undermines the National Security Council which held a meeting that dwelled extensively on the matter with a directive to the armed forces to rescue the girls.

“By her remark, Chikwe has undermined the integrity of all of Nigeria’s security forces because her questions appear to mean that the security agencies in the country do not know what they are doing for holding a National Security Council meeting and deliberating on something that was doubtful and yet giving directives to address it.

“This incident happened 17 days ago, every Nigerian expects that by now, the security agencies must have been carrying out investigations that might have included debriefing some of the girls that escaped from captivity, speaking with parents and other students of the schools. Chikwe’s remark seems to attack the integrity of the security agencies, giving the impression that nothing was done”.

PHOTOS FROM #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS PROTEST IN LAGOS AND ABUJA

The #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS protest started early in the morning in Abuja despite the rain. The women did not mind being drenched in the rain. The protest was led by former minister Oby Ezekwesili, also supported by civil society groups.

Also in Lagos, people came out in their thousands for the solidarity work. Some celebrities showed up to add colour to the walk, see more pictures below

HAPPY NEW MONTH #BRINGBACKOURGIRLSBACK

Every other month we dedicate to ourselves or to something special to us, but this month we dedicate to the children by lending our voices to them. Happy New month, Happy workers day. #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS

BRITISH ACTOR BOB HOSKINS DIES @ 71 FROM PNEUMONIA

Am sure you remember him from some of your favorite movies like "A Christmas Carol" and "The Long Good Friday" and other amazing soap Operas and movies he did. 
The British actor, Bob Hoskins died on Tuesday night from pneumonia. He died at age 71 and is survived by his wife Linda and five children.
Bob had an amazing career that spanned from stage drama to the big screen in london then proceeded to Hollywood.The star won a Bafta and was Oscar-nominated in 1987 for crime drama Mona Lisa, in which he starred opposite Sir Michael Caine and Robbie Coltrane. He announced he was retiring from acting in 2012 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. See more pictures from movie scenes below:

#BRINGBACKOURGIRLS

The days are getting older and the situation is getting unbearable, it is been two weeks since our girls were abducted(Government Girls College, Chibok). And it seems Our nation just suddenly went cold as if nothing has happened, things returned to normalcy while our girls out there in the middle of nowhere hoping that we will come to their rescue. But no we have all returned to our market places because she is not our daughter, we have returned to our offices because she is neither our cousin nor Sister, we have gone into our glass houses and locked our doors against them because they not our neighbours, friends, nieces.

Sometimes i have tried to imagine, creating mental pictures of what these girls are going through in the middle of the forest. Where do they sleep? on a mat or grass, How do they Sleep? comfortably, or really scared, do they get to eat three square meals? Do they get change of clothes? For heavens sake they are girls and some of them must have had their monthly visitors, how do they cope? The traumatic experience of the exchange of  gun battles between their abductors and the Nigerian military, watching people die in cold blood, the constant moving around in the forest with  worn out or no shoes, thanks to heaven our No one leader knows what it means to have no shoes he should understand the plight better.

We need our Sisters home, we all can't fight the gun battle but we can lend our voices to join in unison to plea that they are rescued, so the world knows something has happened. Lets lend our voices tomorrow, if u cant be there @ CMS tomorrow use the social medium and write it everywhere for your friends allover the world to see. It is a solidarity call for freedom.

 #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS
They not just girls, they are daughters, sisters and our Future mother's. BRINGTHEMHOME

R101...

CHANGE MOVEMENT NIGERIA PLANS MASS PROTEST TOMORROW MAY 1ST

As Nigeria’s social-political challenges mount, Change Movement Nigeria has announced a mass participation protest, named “Stolen Dreams Walk,” to take place on Thursday,tomorrow May 1, 2014.

“Every onlooker is either a coward or a willing collaborator,” the group said in a statement on Monday. “We have spoken enough at seminars, workshops and conferences. The time to act is now. Let us join hands to salvage our country.”

It said the ‘Stolen Dreams’ action will take place on at 9am at CMS, Lagos Island, and invited all Nigerians whose dream of a great nation has been shattered to come and join us in the event. 

DONALD STERLING GETS LIFE BAN, MAY SELL THE CLIPPERS

Donald Sterling

Yesterday, the National Basketball Associations imposed a life time ban on Donald Sterling, the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Clippers for his racist comments.This may also mean that Sterling would have to sell the clippers. Guardian UK reports;

UNEMPLOYMENT TOLLS: DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES IN LAGOS SACKS OVER 5000 WORKERS

Yesterday, the managements of Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs), sacked about 5,075 workers, adding to the already teaming unemployed society. Reports says about 2,600 and 2,475 workers had their cards retrieved by Eko and Ikeja DISCO's respectively asking the workers to re-apply as new workers. According to media reports on Information Nigeria,

CHIBOK UPDATE: MOTHER'S STORM ABUJA, DEMANDS RESCUE OF THEIR DAUGHTER'S

Aggrieved mothers and other indigenes of Chibok, Borno State, today in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, staged a protest to demand the immediate rescue or release of the more than 200 secondary school girls abducted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on April 14.

PHOTONEWS: POLICEMEN USES HOT WATER AND TEAR GAS ON POLYTECHNIC PROTESTERS

Reports coming in says that security personnel's have dispersed the polytechnic protesters with not just Tear gas but also hot water. The protesters which include Lecturers, Students  of the polytechnics attempted to make an entrance into the National Assembly complex as they promised they would do, but were restrained. See more pictures  and Details below;

CHIBOK: ABDUCTED SCHOOLGIRLS MARRIED OFF FOR N2000 EACH AS BRIDE PRICE IN CHAD, CAMEROON

I sure hope these reports are lies, Reports making round says the remaining unfound Chibok girls have being given out in marriage to other African men in Chad and Cameroon with a bride price of N2000 each. According to reports from DailyTrust ;

Most of the 234 Borno schoolgirls in Boko Haram captivity have been ferried abroad to Chad and Cameroon after they were married off to sect members on N2,000 bride price each, an elder told Daily Trust yesterday.
The female students were taken from their hostels at the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok on the night of April 14.
About 40 had escaped in the days after the incident, but parents and school authorities said at least 234 of them were yet to be found.
Dr. Pogu Chibok, who is the leader of the Chibok Elders Forum, told Daily Trust yesterday that latest information available to them indicates that most of the girls have been taken to the neighboring Cameroon and Chad by their captors.
He said before they were ferried in canoes across the Lake Chad, a wedding ceremony was conducted at a town on the border with Cameroon where they were married off to Boko Haram militants.
He said N2,000 was paid as bride price on each of the girls to the specific Boko Haram members who took them from their school and who had assumed “ownership” of the students.
“They ferried them in canoes to Cameroon and Chad republic after they were wedded off to Boko Haram members who bidded (sic) and paid N2,000 each as dowries on their heads,” Bitrus said.
“The dowry was paid to their captors, the very people who abducted them from their school. One of them who married one of the girls took her to a border town close to Cameroon where villagers saw her.”
Following their abduction, the schoolgirls were thought to be first taken to the Boko Haram camps in the notorious Sambisa Forest. Reports later said villagers had seen the girls being conveyed in trucks to other locations.
Bitrus said yesterday: “So many sources have informed us that the girls have been taken to Cameroon. Many villagers said they saw the girls being transported in trucks and then in canoes.
“On Sunday they were taken to Dikwa area where they (Boko Haram) have a camp there. From there they took them to Marte, then Monguno before they were finally ferried in canoes. It was yesterday we got this latest report of them being married off to the insurgents by their captors.”
He said sources in Cameroon told them that most of the girls were now being held at “an area where the Boko Haram operates in Cameroon.”
‘Crying day and night’
On whether military authorities were informed about the movements of the girls, Bitrus said: “The military was alerted on Tuesday about two weeks ago when some villagers saw many of the girls being transported in trucks, some with even their school uniforms. The villagers tried calling the senator representing the zone but they couldn’t get him so they went to Bama barracks where they reported the matter.
“At the Bama barracks they were told that they must put it in writing, that that is the military tradition. At that time if the military had intervened they would have stopped them from reaching their destination.
“And the fact that for nearly two weeks we have been talking about this and nothing is being done, then there are questions we have to ask. Nobody did anything.”
Bitrus sobbed as he spoke to our reporter yesterday.
“What is happening with the Nigerian nation? I think we demand some answers. Today it is happening to these unfortunate girls from Chibok, tomorrow it may be somewhere else and that is why all Nigerians must rally around us on this,” he said.
“If these captors are trying to achieve a political point, I think the best thing is for us to try to make sure that they don’t succeed but from all indications they are succeeding due to inaction of government. It is helping these people in achieving their objectives.”
Earlier yesterday, Bitrus spoke to the BBC Hausa radio saying “parents of these girls have been angry that despite the existence of government, there has not been concrete effort from government on the matter.
“Female parents have been crying day and night, because nobody knows what government is doing about the whole issue. All that we read in the papers is that Nigerian Army have done this or that.”
When contacted over claims that the military was informed of the movement of the schoolgirls, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, told Daily Trust: “The concern and anxiety from all quarters is quite understandable. Please be assured that as much as the forces may not disclose details of action being taken to secure the freedom of the girls, every information received on the subject is duly analyzed and acted upon as necessary.
“No information is being ignored in the concerted effort to ensure the safety and freedom of the girls. Just pray for the successful outcome of all efforts please.”

NOLLYWOOD ICON AMAKA IGWE DIES @51

 
The Iconic writer producer and a force to reckon with in Nigera's motion picture industry, Amaka Igwe has passed on. She died last night April 28th in Enugu after an asthma attack. Mrs Igwe had gone to Enugu in company of her husband for pre-production preparations for a new Igbo soap when the sad incident occurred.
She suffered an asthma attack and was immediately rushed to the hospital after initial intervention had failed but sadly died before getting there.

Mrs Igwe is survived by her husband of 21 years Charles Igwe, three children, an aged mother. 
Born Amaka Isaac-Ene, the deceased was an accomplished writer, producer, director, entrepreneur and teacher.
She is the founder of BoBTV Expo, founder and CEO of Top Radio 90.9FM, Amaka Igwe Studios, and the newly-launched Q Entertainment Networks.

A visionary and pioneer of modern Nigerian TV drama and film, she hit national limelight as the writer and producer of award-winning TV soap 'Checkmate' and its off shoot 'Fuji House of Commotion'.

Her Nollywood projects include RattleSnake and Violated - two critically-acclaimed movies that set apart Amaka Igwe Studios in the much-criticised Nollywood industry.

Amaka Igwe studied Education/Religion at the University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University). She had a Master's Degree from the University of Ibadan. She had her early education at All Saints School (Now Trans Ekulu Primary School), Girls High School Awkunanaw, Enugu and Idia College, Benin.

She worked as a lecturer at the Anambra State University of Technology and briefly in oil and Gas, before settling for the motion picture industry.

May Her Soul Rest in Peace...Amen

BEYISM: DOES THE BEYONCE CHURCH EXIST? READ MORE TO KNOW

Chineke!!!. It started as a rumor but the thing di kwa serious. Some group of marijuana smokers(that is what i choose to call them) about 13 of them came together to set-up a church to worship the singer Beyonce Knowles, my people they call this religion BEYISM. 

The website News Nerd said, in the summer of 2013 Pauline and 12 of her friends formed the National Church of Bey in Atlanta, Georgia and Pauline named herself the official “Minister Diva.” The Divine Divas registered their church as a legitimate non-profit organization, after collecting donations and emptying their savings accounts the Bey worshippers bought the first National Church of Bey temple where they worship Beyonce and analyze her songs while smoking Beyha (marijuana). The Church released a statement after they were being criticized of their belief. read statement below; http://www.thenewsnerd.com/local/beyonce-church-responds-criticism/

“We are very disappointed in the failure of the public to recognize the existence of a divine Deity walking among them,” the church’s founder Pauline John Andrews stated.” Deity’s often walk the Earth in their flesh form. Beyonce will transcend back to the spirit once her work here on Mother Earth has been completed.”

“As our congregation continues to swell, we ask that you consider what is more real; an invisible spirit on high, or a walking, talking, breathing Goddess who shows you her true form daily? Beyonce’s spirit is entrancing. We know that she was sent to this place to spread love, peace, and joy. While we do not believe Beyonce to be the Creator, we recognize that she still sits among the throne of Gods. There is a lot of false information being spread about our beliefs, but we will correct all of the vicious lie-tellers. As Beyonce spreads her gospel through song and dance, her message provides uplifting, loving, and many times real-life happenings. We humbly ask you to respect our beliefs, just as you want those to respect yours. Open your mind to new possibilities and you will see, just as we did, that Bey is a true higher power. Surfbort!”

Pauline Andrews also revealed that the church continues to grow at an unbelievable pace. “Since the day we decided to go public, we have had tons of requests to learn more about our religion. We have published the Beyble(Bible) and it will soon be available for free to the public. Donations have poured in and we will soon have enough to build a temple in honor of Mother Bey. We will invite her to speak to her flock, once the doors are open.”

The Beyonce Church (The National Church Of Bey), is also looking to expand outside of Atlanta. They revealed that they have parishes popping up all over the United States and the United Kingdom. The Church says they intend to spread their message abroad using their Tumblr account.

What do you think about what these people are doing?

PASTOR'S DAUGHTER WHO CONVERTED TO ISLAM SET TO WED THE LAWYER WHO HANDLED HER CASE

Charity Uzoechina , 26 year old daughter of Pastor Raymond Uzoechina, who converted to Islam last year is set to wed. Following the conversion, she also dropped her name charity and took up Aishat. Read details in full,

The Executive Director of Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, Ishaq Akintola, whose organization has kept tab on the convert for months, said Miss Uzoechina is set to marry on May 2.
Mr. Akintola, a professor at the Lagos State University, said in a message posted to a discussion forum moderated by MURIC, that Miss Uzoechina would be marrying the lawyer who handled her case after her conversion to Islam became controversial.

Mr. Akintola’s message reads as follows:
Salaam All,
Remember Sister Aishat? She is the pastor’s daughter who reverted to Islam last year and the father raised hell in Niger State. MURIC has been monitoring her progress.
She is to wed on Friday, 2nd May, 2014.
Guess who is the proposed husband? Barrister Tijani, the lawyer whom MURIC got to handle her case in court.
Isn’t this worth celebrating?

Details of the arrangement for Miss Uzoechina’s marriage ceremony are not immediately available.
PREMIUM TIMES could not reach her and her fiancé for comments.
Background
Miss Uzoechina, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, converted to Islam on February 13, 2013, angering her family and sparking a religious controversy in the country.

Fearing for her life, she stopped school and approached a Shariah court in Niger state, asking for protection from her parents.

The court asked the Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar, the spiritual and political head of the Bida emirate in North-Central Nigeria, to take her into custody.

However, her father, Pastor Uzoechina, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) tried to take her back from the Etsu Nupe, accusing the Emir of abducting and forcibly converting the student to Islam.

But the Etsu Nupe and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) insisted that Miss Uzoechina voluntarily converted to Islam and on her own sought refuge at the Etsu Nupe’s palace in Bida out of fear she might be harmed.

Miss Uzoechina was quoted at the time as saying her conversion to Islam was “strictly personal, gradual and well thought-out.”

“I joined Islam purely on my own terms. I love the character of Muslims that I have related with, particularly the way they behave. You know Muslims believe in God,” Miss Uzoechina, told OnIslam.net at the time.

“I have Muslim friends and I watched what they do, that enticed me to join Islam.”

ALISON-MADUEKE GETS COURT INJUNCTION STOPPING REPS FROM PROBING THE N10 BILLION JET SCANDAL

Petroleum Minister, Alison-Madueke

The Petroleum minister who has been at the center of the 10 billion jet scandal has gotten an interim court injunction to restrain the House of Representatives from investigating how she spent the money. According to Premium Times;

A federal court in Abuja restrained the House, its committees or representatives from summoning Mrs. Alison-Madueke or requesting that she produce papers, documents or give evidence relating to the jet spending.

The presiding judge, A. R. Mohammed, also barred the lawmakers from ordering the minister’s arrest for failing to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts, which is probing the allegation.

The interim order was given April 14, while the court asked that a representative of the House appear on a later date [April 17] and argue why full injunction as requested by the minister should not be granted. It is however not clear what happened in court on that day.

“It is directed that the respondents shall be served with the motion exparte dated and filed on 11th April, 2014 for interim orders of injunction,” the court ordered.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke is accused of spending billions of naira for the services of private jets she deployed for mostly personal trips. State oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, supervised by the minister, has absolved the minister of wrongdoing.

As petroleum minister, Mrs. Alison-Madueke has been repeatedly investigated by the National Assembly. Multiple reports have blamed the minister for either maladministration, corruption or violation of the law.

A key probe which found the minister wanting was the 2012 fuel subsidy inquiry which exposed how the government spent more than N2 trillion subsidizing petrol in one year when actual subsidy cost was less than N500 billion.

There is also the recent allegation of missing $20 billion oil funds.

Amid the charges, Mrs. Alison-Madueke has also drawn praise for ensuring a year-round availability of petrol, a significant achievement in Nigeria’s notoriously corrupt oil sector.

Yet, that achievement recently ebbed with fuel shortage across the country lasting months.

The latest allegation against Mrs. Alison-Madueke came March 20 in a motion presented by a member of the House of Representatives, Samuel Adejare, accusing the minister of committing about 500,000 Euros (N130 million naira) monthly to maintain an aircraft for her personal needs and those of her immediate family.

Mr. Adejare said preliminary investigations showed government funds were used for financing the deal.

Preliminary investigation by the House public accounts committee showed more than one aircraft was involved.

Some lawmakers on the committee have spoken of pressure on them to suspend the investigation and a planned public hearing that has already been delayed by the minister’s refusal to attend.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke has also refused to submit required documents related to the spending, ahead of a public hearing.

The court’s interim injunction which is dated April 14 but only made public Monday, ordered the House not to summon the minister or ask her to provide any documents relating to the jet scandal.

The court order was emailed by the NNPC to reporters late Monday.

Ohi Alegbe, a spokesperson for the NNPC, who also speaks for the minister, told PREMIUM TIMES the injunction was earlier served on the House two weeks back. He said the House may have deliberately kept the papers from the public.

But the chairman of the House Public Accounts Committee, Solomon Olamilekan, said he was surprised the minister waited until Monday- the scheduled day of the commencement of the investigation- before coming up with a court order, giving the impression the court document had just been served.

House agrees to soft pedal

The order raised immediate concerns whether the court, as a separate arm of government, has powers to restrain another arm-legislature- from its constitutional functions of investigating government agencies.

The NNPC spokesperson, Mr. Alegbe, said the order was not “unusual”. “There is nothing strange about it. There is a precedent,” he said.

In its reaction Monday, the House of Representatives on Monday said it would study the order and decide on a response.

“As a law abiding arm of government, we will tarry a while and of course take a legal opinion as far as issues are concerned,” Zakary Mohammed, a spokesperson for the House, said.

Mr. Olamilekan said the committee had received responses from other groups involved in the investigation including Vistajet International and Executive Jet Hangar.

He said the only responses being awaited by the committee are those from the ministry of petroleum, the NNPC, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.

“Today is April 28, the committee scheduled to receive the honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources and other agencies that have stake in this investigation.

“But as we speak, there is a court order, which has been served to the office of the speaker, even though the committee has not gotten the copy of that order,’’ he said.

“The nature of the court order is simple. They are just restraining us from carrying out our own investigation. I don’t know what they are afraid of that they have gone to court.”

CHIBOK ABDUCTION: MILITARY SURROUNDS BOKO HARAM HIDEOUTS WHERE ABDUCTED GIRLS ARE HELD

Nigeria’s military said it has tracked down and surrounded the location, where over 200 schoolgirls who were abducted two weeks ago from Government Secondary School, Chibok, are reportedly being held captive by Islamist sect Boko Haram.


The military is said to be applying caution in its approach having identified the various camps where the girls are held, to ensure their safety it explores several options, including intense negotiations by locals and the Borno State Government to secure their release.

“The operation is being strategically carried in a very covert manner because the terrorists will not hesitate to use any of the girls as human shields or even kill them in the event of an attack.

“Another thing you must consider is that apart from being a large expanse of land area, the Sambisa forest also has many clusters of villages and settlements that can suffer from the collateral damage, should an all-out bombardment be carried out.

“Assuming the military attacks them and some of the girls get killed in the process, can you imagine the outrage that will come from the members of the public? So they (military) are being careful.

“All this while, the military has known and has tracked the locations where they are and has even concluded plans to invade the place, but later shelved it to avoid collateral damage,” a source told Thisday.

The military was said to have changed tactics, as it was revealed that the instead of a full onslaught on the terror hideouts, the troops are relying more on intelligence gathering and negotiations by some local indigenes and the state government with the terrorists to secure the release of the girls.

It has also emerged that in the course of searching for the girls, the military has arrested some of the arrowheads behind their abduction and are currently undergoing interrogation.

The source further explained that the security forces do not want to get involved in negotiations since they consider the kidnapping a “highly coordinated local issue” with the full backing of the state government.

“The state government and the Commissioner (of Education) are seriously negotiating (for the girls’ freedom) because they know these boys. And what you see playing out is the politics of the state of emergency,” he said.

Also, sources within defence circles further revealed that after being embarrassed by the conflicting accounts on the number of girls that were abducted or released, the military is taking a more cautious approach in dealing with the situation.

Most of the military top brass, the sources also revealed, are still aggrieved with the way they were misled into giving a false statement about the missing students, which forced the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in Abuja to retract its statement.

One top security officer expressed doubts that 234 schoolgirls were kidnapped, stating that the number of the abducted girls was grossly exaggerated and may not be more than 70 in total.

According to him, since the total number of the students in the school from junior to senior secondary level is about 1,200, this would explain the high number of parents claiming that their children are missing.

“This is aside from the calculated effort aimed at getting some kind of financial compensation from the state government, which was alleged to have doled out the sum of N1 million to each family of the missing girls.

“Now if you divide that figure by six, you would have a maximum of 200 students in a class. And when you consider the fact that the SS3 (Senior Secondary 3) students are normally fewer in number than other classes, it stands to reason that less than 200 schoolgirls were abducted,” the source explained.

Expressing frustration with the entire incident, the security official added: “Another thing you should note is that schools were closed within this period and this is both a day and boarding school, and not all the students were living in the school.

“So who gave them the directive to come to school and what were they doing in school at that time? Who are the students that make up these figures, because most of them were going to school from home since they are all members of Chibok community.

“The fact is that the figure is less than 100, or even less than 70 from our estimates, which was admitted by the school security men there and even the principal of the school before she started changing figures and statement. Today, she will say the figure is 129, then later she said 234 and again changed the figure.”

He alleged that the whole situation playing out with the abduction saga was beginning to appear like a hatchet job meant to ridicule the military in order to gain the upper hand in their quest to lift the state of emergency imposed on Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.

“Owing to what has happened, the military has decided to operate in the background since our men cannot trust the people (community members) who are also being brainwashed to see us as enemies.

“The way this whole situation has played out has made the military wary of those it is working with, that is, the locals and their hunters, as you can see how the principal has been made the star of this whole misfortune.

“She has been granting interviews to the media in a euphoric manner, ridiculing the military and saying the hunters are the ones doing the job,” the source added.

Source: InformationNigeria