As several concerned Nigerians take to the street to
remember the over 200 female students that were abducted a year ago by
the extremist Boko Haram terrorist group, President Goodluck Jonathan
has defended his administration’s actions so far on the issue.
Speaking
on Tuesday with a BBC correspondent, the outgoing President Jonathan,
said he suspected the girls were still alive, and are being held in a
distant forest.
Although there have been reports from some escapees that the girls were seen in the forest, their whereabouts remains unclear till date.
The abduction of the over 200 school girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014, sparked a reaction that attracted international communities.
The Nigerian government had initially played politics
with abduction and swept it under the carpet, with some government
officials and sympathizers saying “no girls were kidnapped.”
Boko Haram has killed thousands of people as well as displaced many since it began its onslaught in 2009. Boko Haram in Hausa means- “Western education is a sin,” but the sect is known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad.
The
United States State Department designated Boko Haram a terrorist
organization in November 2013. The US on June 12, 2013, declared the
leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau wanted and placed a seven million
dollars ($7m) bounty on him.
Meanwhile, a fierce military onslaught against the Boko Haram terrorists group began few months ago after the Federal Government postponed the country’s general elections by six weeks following the Islamist militants destructive activities in the North-Eastern region of the country.
It was alleged that out of desperation to see an end to the blood sucking sect, the Nigerian government went as far as employing hundreds of mercenaries from South Africa and the former Soviet Union to assist in securing victory before the commencement of the March 28 elections.
But, the President-elect,General Muhammadu Buhari has also promised that when his administration will assume office on May 29, 2015, he will do everything in its power to make sure the Chibok girls are brought back home.
President Goodluck Jonathan
Although there have been reports from some escapees that the girls were seen in the forest, their whereabouts remains unclear till date.
The abduction of the over 200 school girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014, sparked a reaction that attracted international communities.
Boko Haram has killed thousands of people as well as displaced many since it began its onslaught in 2009. Boko Haram in Hausa means- “Western education is a sin,” but the sect is known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad.
The
Islamist movement which is based in the North-Eastern part of the
country is also operational in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon.
Meanwhile, a fierce military onslaught against the Boko Haram terrorists group began few months ago after the Federal Government postponed the country’s general elections by six weeks following the Islamist militants destructive activities in the North-Eastern region of the country.
It was alleged that out of desperation to see an end to the blood sucking sect, the Nigerian government went as far as employing hundreds of mercenaries from South Africa and the former Soviet Union to assist in securing victory before the commencement of the March 28 elections.
But, the President-elect,General Muhammadu Buhari has also promised that when his administration will assume office on May 29, 2015, he will do everything in its power to make sure the Chibok girls are brought back home.
