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Nigerian Troops Did Not rescue Any Chibok Schoolgirl – Irabor
The Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, on Sunday denied media reports that Nigerian troops had rescued some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
In 2014 about 270 schoolgirls were abducted when Boko Haram terrorists attacked their school in Chibok, Borno State.
While some of the girls managed to escape, others spent over two years with their abductors before the Nigerian government negotiated their release.
About a hundred of the girls are still in the captivity of the insurgents.
Last week, an online medium reported that some of the schoolgirls escaped from a Boko Haram camp during a military operation.
This report was followed by others especially by international media like CNN and BBC who claimed to have spoken with the father of a rescued schoolgirl, Halima.
The media outfits that reported the incident quoted the father narrating how he spoke with his daughter who reportedly asked, “Is this my father?”
PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday in an interview with the new Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, asked the top soldier to confirm whether the military had rescued any Chibok Schoolgirl.
“The military has been conducting operations in all the local government areas of Borno state and the operation has been on now for well over one month, and the intensity of the operation has led to so many of those held behind lines escaping,” he said.
“What we know is that we do not have any of the Chibok schoolgirls in our custody. If they’re not with us what do you want us to confirm to you?
“Yes, we desire to rescue the rest of the Chibok girls and any other person behind the lines…gladly. If our operations have helped those that have been alleged to have escaped I think we are glad. We hope to strengthen the efforts that we are putting now to free the rest that are behind lines.”
A report by CNN claimed that a father, Ali Maiyanga, said some of the girls “have finally escaped from their captors”.
“She asked me. Is this my daddy? Is this my daddy, and she started crying. The crying was [so] much and I couldn’t hear her very well,” the father reportedly told a CNN reporter.
The man further told the CNN reporter that the whole family was “so happy. Our house is full of people who are rejoicing with us.”
The report also quoted the father allegedly saying that he “didn’t get a chance to speak to his daughter properly, as she was emotional and the call was short. But he said she and others are safe and being looked after by the Nigerian army.”
And that “she was calling from a phone line belonging to a security official.”
Local journalists have tried without success to reach the reported father of the allegedly rescued girl.
Mr Maiyanga had two of his daughters, Maryam and Halima, amongst the schoolgirls abducted in April 2014. One of them, Maryam, managed to escape but her younger sister is believed to still be in the custody of the insurgents.
Premium Times
Source: Reuters
Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has alleged that there may be attempts to prevent key opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, from appearing on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.
Oseni’s remark followed a Federal High Court judgment ordering the de-registration of some political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples’ Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance Party (AAP) over alleged constitutional breaches.
The judgment arose from a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional and statutory electoral performance requirements necessary for continued recognition as political parties.
Justice Lifu subsequently barred INEC from recognising the affected parties, accepting nominations from them or permitting them to participate in activities related to the 2027 general elections.
The ruling, if upheld, could affect the political ambitions of several politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the ADC presidential flag-bearer, and Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.
But speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Oseni described the court ruling as a “test” of public reaction, warning that more actions could follow ahead of the next general election.
According to him, opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, should be cautious, claiming that efforts could be made to stop major figures from participating in the election.
Oseni argued that the judgment was part of a broader process aimed at shaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.
He maintained that the ruling came despite some of the affected parties having recorded electoral victories in recent elections.
He warned that Nigerians must remain vigilant to safeguard the country’s democracy, stressing the need for judicial reforms alongside efforts to tackle insecurity.
Oseni said: “NDC, ADC should be careful because there will be attempt, and this is me predicting now, to ensure that Obi, Atiku and other big contenders are not on the ballot.
“This that you saw yesterday is just a test. This is not the real place where the whole thing is going. This is me predicting now.
“You know before you have a show you test the microphone. They want to see the reactions of Nigerians. More is still coming.
“You can see how they carry a judgement when ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi, one Kogi House of Assembly seat, APP one chairmanship seat in Jigawa, Zenith Labour party won several seats in Abia, but they still went ahead and issued judgement for deregistration after the Court of Appeal, a higher court, said it should stay on that.
“If we want to deal with this judicial rascality, can I tell you something? The judge that gave this judgment, nothing will happen to him. Nothing on this earth. They are just coming.
“And who is leading this group? Gbajabiamila. Have you forgotten what Gbajabiamila said on Hon Ajibade’s birthday? So they are just coming. This one is just a test. The next one they will do is the NDC.
“With the way they’re going, if Nigerians don’t shine their eyes when they will finally have this election, you will not have the major contenders in the ballot. This thing they have just done is to test reactions from Nigerians.
“I saw this thing coming. You know we are going into an election in which Atiku Abubakar is the only major candidate from the North. It’s not like the last one you have Kwankwaso that can split the Kano votes. And you have Peter Obi and general consensus that a lot of people are in abject penury, insecurity is raging hard.
“This is the beginning of many things. They are just testing the microphone. It’s engineered. More is coming. Nigerians, it is you that will save your democracy. Judicial reforms have become so important as insecurity in Nigeria.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has picked former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
Announcing the decision, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said Amaechi’s emergence followed broad consultations within the party and reflected his strong performance as runner-up in the party’s presidential primaries as well as his track records of service to his state and the country.
According to the ADC, Amaechi’s extensive experience across both the legislative and executive arms of government, as former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, two-term Governor of Rivers State, and former Minister of Transportation, makes him uniquely qualified to complement Atiku’s leadership, strengthen the party’s national appeal, and bolster its campaign to offer Nigerians an experienced and credible alternative ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The party said the choice of Amaechi underscores its commitment to presenting a leadership team with proven governance experience and national appeal as it prepares for the 2027 presidential contest.
ThisDay
