A Nigerian journalist, Ahmad Salkida known to have access to credible sources with the Boko Haram group has recanted his earlier information that only 15 out of the 113 remaining Chibok schoolgirls are alive.
Newsclickng.com reports that Sakilda had on Saturday via his Twitter handle @Contactsakilda said information at his disposal shows that the remaining girls might not make out alive.
“Today, my painstaking investigations on the #Chibokschoolgirls revealed that just a handful of the 113 #ChibokGirls are alive,” he said.
“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 three 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 exists.
“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 comes there is little or no information about the girls and both the parents and campaigners are in the dark? Because, Government resist 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,” Sakilda tweeted on Saturday.
However, in new tweets on Tuesday, Salkida said two other cells within the sect brought information to him that, apart from the 15, there were girls being held.
“A leading member of the Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad or BH has now clarified the earlier information about 15 girls. Indeed, the 15 #Chibokgirls are available, but known to a particular cell that spoke to me emphatically days leading to the 4th anniversary,” Salkida tweeted.
A leading member of the Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad or BH has now clarified the earlier information about 15 girls. Indeed, the 15 #Chibokgirls are available, but known to a particular cell that spoke to me emphatically days leading to the 4th anniversary.
“However, two other cells within the larger group has brought additional information, clarifying the earlier information, that there are another 10 girls available to another cell. Outside of the 15 and 10, another 5 amongst the girls are also alive as at early hours of today.”
However, two other cells within the larger group has brought additional information, clarifying the earlier information, that there is another 10 girls available to another cell. Outside of the 15 and 10, another 5 amongst the girls are also alive as at early hours of today.
With the new information, the total number of the girls, reportedly, alive are 30.
Salkida explained that the set of five, according to the group, had apparently become permanently embedded in the doctrines and teaching programmes of the sect and the girls have asked not to be considered among those likely to be included in any release in the future.
But the set of 5, according to the group today, have apparently become permanently embedded in the doctrines and teaching programs of the Sect and have asked not to be considered amongst those likely be included in any release in the future, if there would be any.
However, the federal government was quick to dismiss Salkida’s claim, saying the facts available to the government indicated that all the remaining girls in Boko Haram captivity were alive.
The defence headquarters, in a similar manner, had also questioned Salkida’s claim it said was to discourage the government.
But Salkida challenged the government to release a proof of live video, insisting that only 15 alive.
Salkida said the objective of his earlier tweets was to compel the government and Boko Haram to speak, but the government was unnecessarily defensive.
“It is most disappointing that the government in its might and given the machinery available to it, peremptorily declared to the public that it lacks institutional memory regarding the processes of the #Chibokgirls,” the journalist wrote.
Back to the response of the presidency, it is most disappointing that the government in its might and given the machinery available to it, peremptorily declared to the public that it lacks institutional memory regarding the processes of the #Chibokgirls,” Sakida tweeted on Tuesday.
