The
confusion trailing the attack on Government Girls Science Technical College,
Dapchi, Yobe, by Boko Haram insurgents on Monday continued yesterday, as some
aggrieved residents of Dapchi, headquarters of Busari Local Government Area of
Yobe State, attacked Ibrahim Gaidam, Governor of the state. Two of the vehicles
in the convoy of Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State…damaged…yesterday.
Photo: The Cable They not only booed the number one citizen of the state but
threw stones and dangerous objects at his convoy, resulting in the destruction
of some vehicles. The governor, had disclosed during a visit, yesterday that
contrary to earlier reports, none of the missing girls had been rescued. The
gov
ernor, who disclosed this when he visited the community, yesterday, told
weeping family members of the students to keep praying that the girls be found.
Governor Geidam’s statement came barely twenty-fours after the state government
in a statement signed by Director of Information, Abdullahi Bego, said the
girls had been rescued by the military. He urged the parents to remain
faithful, adding that security operatives were still searching for the girls He
said: “Soldiers have been pursuing the insurgents, although they received
information that the Boko Haram insurgents had passed some areas, but the
communities in the areas said they did not spot the girls along with the
insurgents.” He assured that government and security operatives would not rest
on their oars until the missing girls were accounted for. The waiting parents
wept profusely as the earlier news that the girls were rescued turned out to be
false. Angry residents stone Yobe Gov in Dapchi Meanwhile, some aggrieved
residents of Dapchi, headquarters of Busari Local Government area of Yobe
state, attacked Ibrahim Gaidam, governor of the state, yesterday. They not only
booed the number one citizen of the state but threw stones and dangerous
objects at his convoy, resulting in the destruction of some vehicles. The
governor arrived the community before noon and immediately went into a meeting
with traditional leaders at the palace of the village head. He was said to have
taken the leaders into confidence but they agreed that he should also address
the crowd which had gathered outside. “When Gaidam began speaking, we were
calm. We followed all that he said with assurances that the situation was under
control,” Abdullahi Dapchi, a resident of the town who said two of his sisters
were among the captives, told TheCable. “But we got suspicious when he began
dribbling us. You know how these politicians are. He said we should cooperate
with the government that they were doing their best. We asked him about the
situation and he said none of the students had been rescued. “At that point,
some parents broke down in tears, some even collapsed and before you knew it,
the atmosphere was chaotic. The governor had to be ferried away by his security
operatives but the mob went after the vehicles in his convoy. The peace that we
have been enjoying in this community was disrupted.” Dapchi said it took the
intervention of soldiers, who fired shots into the air, for the crowd to
disperse. He said moments after the troops left, some residents gathered again
but this time around they started protesting. “They blocked major roads,
chanting anti-government songs and placing curses on Boko Haram,” he said.
“They demanded the immediate release of the students and said they were not
interested in how government would achieve that.” The protest did not gather
momentum because attention had shifted to the school where Gaidam, under tight
security, was awaiting the arrival of the delegation of President Muhammadu
Buhari. Three ministers – Lai Mohammed (Information), Mansur Dan Ali (Defence)
and Khadija Bukar Abba, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs – later arrived
in two helicopters. They met with the governor and had a brief discussion with
the media. Appealing to family members of the captive to exercise patience with
government, Mohammed said the freedom of the girls would remain a priority. He said
the actual number of the missing schoolgirls would be known when parents come
forward with complaint of their wards. “On the issue of the number of missing
girls, we cannot give what we are not sure of, until we hear from their
parents, we cannot say this is the number,” he said. Yobe govt apologises for
false news Meanwhile, Yobe State government has apologised for a false report
it released stating that some of the missing schoolgirls from the state had
been rescued. The government said in a statement last night: “‘The public may
recall that we issued a statement last night in which we announced that some of
the girls at Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi who
went missing after Boko Haram terrorists had stormed their school last Monday
were rescued by officers and men of the Nigerian Army who are currently
executing the war against the Boko Haram Insurgents. “We issued the statement
on the basis of information provided by one of the security agencies that is
involved in the fight against Boko Haram and which we had no reason to doubt.
“We have now established that the information we relied on to make the
statement was not credible. The Yobe State Government apologises for that. “His
Excellency Governor Ibrahim Geidam was in Dapchi today where he met with
community leaders and the Principal and staff of the Girls’ College. “The
governor also addressed the parents of some of the schoolgirls that are still
unaccounted for where he told them to pray and exercise patience as the government
and security agencies at all levels continue the work to address the
unfortunate situation. “His Excellency Governor Geidam has also directed
Education Ministry officials and the school administration to work closely with
the security agencies to establish the actual number of girls that are still
unaccounted for and to contact parents and the community for possible
information that could be useful in the investigation. “His Excellency Governor
Geidam shares deeply and personally in the grief about the unfortunate event at
the Girls’ College and, under his leadership, the Yobe State Government will
continue to do everything necessary in partnership with security agencies and
the federal government to address the situation.’’ FG not sure of true situation
of missing schoolgirls – Lai Mohammed Also yesterday, the Minister of
Information, Lai Mohammed, said the Federal Government would need more time to
assess the situation around the community where the schoolgirls were reportedly
kidnapped in Yobe State on Monday. “On the issue of the number of missing
girls, we cannot give what we are not sure of, until we hear from their
parents, we cannot say this is the number,” the minister told reporters shortly
after he arrived at Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi,
yesterday afternoon. “Give us a few more time please,’’ he pleaded. Alhaji
Mohammed was among the three ministers that President Muhammadu Buhari asked on
Wednesday to embark on an immediate fact-finding mission to the state. His
comments that the Buhari administration cannot immediately give any details
about the situation came a day after the state government said some of the
kidnapped girls have been rescued and handed over to the Nigerian Army. But
that account now seems to be in dispute, as the Defence Headquarters said the
alleged rescue could not be confirmed. “We cannot confirm” the statement by
Yobe State that some of the girls have been rescued, Defence spokesperson, John
Agim, said yesterday morning. Similarly, a federal lawmaker who represents the
community, said the report that girls were kidnapped was untrue. “The military
did not rescue any girls yesterday as being reported in the media,” Goni Bukar,
the lawmaker representing Bursari/Geidam/Yunusari federal constituency,’’ said.
“I am currently speaking with you from the school and I stand here with the
governor and other top military officials. I can tell you that no girls were
rescued,” he added. “We have only been able to locate some girls in one or two
batches at different places.” Alhaji Lai Mohammed arrived at the community with
Khadijat Bukar-Ibrahim, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Governor of Yobe
State, Ibrahim Geidam, was on ground to receive the team. The Theatre
Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major-General Rogers Nicholas was also on the
scene. The minister and his entourage were briefed by the governor and the
General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Damaturu. Shortly after the briefing,
Mohammed told reporters that he was delegated by the President to visit the
attacked community and commiserate with the victims. He said his delegation
which also includes a representative of the Minister of Defence, was also to
find out the true situation about the missing schoolgirls, saying it was still
too early to determine their whereabouts. He said: “We are still monitoring the
situation and what I want people to understand is that since two days ago some
of the students who fled to neighbouring towns and communities had returned and
more have been returning. “When we arrived here we have been briefed by the
governor and the GOC about the situation of the students. We know there are few
students who are yet accounted for, but we don’t want to manufacture stories on
this issue. But give us few days, we will be able to tell you exactly the real
situation of things. “But you can see response of the military, the response of
the state government is quite commendable. Since four days now we have been
following the efforts being made to arrest the situation,” he said. He lampooned
the Boko Haram and said the sect only attacked the school because it is in its
dying days and craving media attention. “But we must understand that these are
the dying days of the Boko Haram and what they intend to do is to embarrass the
government because they have been degraded, they have been pushed out of
Sambisa forest. “They have been starved out of oxygen and the oxygen they feed
on is publicity so that they can grab the world’s attention. But I can assure
you that with the determination of our gallant military, the days of Boko Haram
are numbered.” We can’t confirm Yobe rescue story — DHQ However, Defence
Headquarters yesterday dismissed insinuations that the Army had rescued the
missing girls. “We cannot confirm the statement by Yobe State that some of the
girls have been rescued,’’ Defence spokesperson, Brigadier-General John Agim,
said yesterday. Agim said he could not give further details about the
military’s intervention in the matter. The police could not also confirm if the
girls had been rescued as an aide to the Commissioner of Police, Sunmonu
Abdulmaliki, said the police had no information that the girls were actually
rescued from Boko Haram. “There’s nothing we can confirm,” said the CP’s aide,
who added that the police would be working with the team of three ministers
that President Muhammadu Buhari sent on Wednesday day to travel to Yobe. “We
hope that after the visit by the delegation, the picture would be clearer,” he
added. Senate condemns attack, resurgence of Boko Haram Meanwhile, the Senate,
yesterday condemned in very strong terms, the resurgence of Boko Haram
insurgency in the North East, following alleged kidnap of of no fewer than 111
school girls of the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State.
Consequently, the Senate yesterday asked the Federal Government to quickly
recover the girls to avoid a repeat of the Chibok girls’ experience. It also
said it was unfortunate and disheartening that Boko Haram was back to the
geo-political zone of the country. The position of the Senate on the resurgence
of Boko Haram seems to contradict claims that the insurgents had been decimated
or defeated. Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a motion by Senator Abba
Bukar Ibrahim (APC, Yobe East), who drew the attention of the senators to
Monday night’s attack on Government Girls’ Technical College, Dapchi, in Yobe
State. Narrating the incident, Senator Ibrahim, who noted that 46 of the 926
girls in the school had gone missing since the attack, said that no lives were
lost in the attack, though it was still not clear if the girls were abducted.
Senator Bukar Ibrahim said: “On Monday, February 20, 2018, some suspected Boko
Haram insurgents attacked Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe
State. “Concerned that out of 936 female students, who ran into the bush, 46
are still missing. 810 returned. I understand that the governor of Yobe State
has already got the military to deploy military and the police. “So far, there
has been no case of killing. Nobody is sure if it was a case of abduction or
some of the girls who ran home have not yet come back. These are yet to be
confirmed. The Federal Government has already sent a high powered delegation;
three ministers to go and stay in Damaturu and report to Mr. President on a
continuous basis until the matter is resolved.” During discussions on the
motion, senators, however, clashed over comments on the governor of Yobe State,
Ibrahim Geidam. Infact, the clash was between the Senate leader, Senator Ahmed
Lawan (APC, Yobe North) and Senator Mohammed Hassan (APC, Yobe South). While
Senator Lawan hailed the governor for being proactive, Senator Hassan disagreed
sharply with the Senate leader. Senator Lawan, who commended the quick response
of President Muhammadu Buhari and the state government to arrest the situation,
said what happened should be an eye-opener that Boko Haram now sees girls and
women as value target for ransom, just as he called for extra vigilance and
security in schools, especially in all girls schools. Senator Lawan said: “What
happened was unfortunate and after the Chibok incident, it was the wish of
every Nigerian that it doesn’t happen again in the country. I want to, at this
point, commend Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, for immediately taking action
by directing the armed forces to move into yobe to ensure that book haram did
not run away with any single girl. “I want to also commend the governor of Yobe
State, Ibrahim Geidam, for ensuring that parents were comforted, for sending
officials of the ministry of education to go round the families and ensure that
they took head counts of the girls from that school. “What happened is a lesson
for us. That Boko Haram sees girls or women as value targets. What they did in
Chibok earned them some funds, because negotiations were held somehow and they
got a lot of money. ‘’Now, the lesson is, we need to be extra careful and take
extraordinary measures in protecting our schools; especially girls’ schools in
Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. Countering the position of the Senate Leader, Senator
Mohammed Hassan, who noted that the state government didn’t deserve any
commendation, said the state government has “failed serially” to protect the
people and that the praise from Ahmed Lawan was misplaced. According to him,
since the incident happened, there has been no single report by the state
government. He said: “In 2013, a secondary school in Potiskum was attacked,
where over 70 children were killed. A year after, another secondary school in
Mamudu was attacked where school children were slaughtered. There was another
attack in Buni Yadi where students were attacked, the state university too was
attacked and now we have this one. “This is quite disheartening to hear, with
due respect to Senator Lawan, to commend the state government for serially
failing to protect our students. This is the primary responsibility of the
government; to protect the lives and properties of its citizens. Stop paying
Boko Haram money — Senator Lidani In his contribution, Senator Joshua Lidani
(PDP, Gombe South), said he thinks Nigeria might have emboldened Boko Haram
each time it acceded to its demand for ransom.
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/confusion-yobe-girls-angry-parents-stone-gov/
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/confusion-yobe-girls-angry-parents-stone-gov/
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