Nigeria and United States have commenced talks aimed at ironing out modalities of what is expected to be an inter-agency collaboration to rescue the over 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Borno State, over three weeks ago.
The meeting between the countries came on the back of more offers of assistance from China and France to the Nigerian government in its efforts to rescue the students.
To complement the international support, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has also offered a cash reward of N50 million for credible information that could lead to finding and rescuing the girls.
However, despite the global outcry over the kidnapping and attempts to reunite the girls with their families, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) played the blame game yesterday, when it accused the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, of conspiracy and colluding with his state Commissioner for Education and the Chibok school authorities to set the country on the path of deception.
Giving some insight into the meeting between the US and Nigeria, America’s ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, while speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of a meeting of Northern States Governors and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator, Mr. Rajiv Shah in Abuja last night, said US experts and military personnel would arrive Nigeria soon.
“This afternoon, I was in discussions with some of your security officials to discuss the details of exactly what our team might look like,” he said.
Although Entwistle was hazy about the details of the ongoing discussions, he confirmed that there was a possibility of the use of drones in the planned rescue operation.
“Obviously, I cannot give all the details now but we are in the process of putting together a team. It will include people from several US agencies… Your security officials have told me what you need and I am hopeful that the team would be on the ground shortly,” he added.
The envoy noted that the team aside from providing assistance to get the abducted girls back, would also assist in improving the capacity of Nigeria’s security forces to deal with Boko Haram.
“I am not sure of the details of the size of the team, but we hope to see them (US experts) on ground soon. How long they will stay, we will decide after they arrive,” he said.
The envoy added that the US had had a long-term security relationship with Nigeria, focused on Boko Haram. The relationship, he said, would continue after the girls are found and returned to their parents.
Also, speaking at the opening of the meeting with the USAID administrator, the Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, warned that the north could suffer a setback of up to 50 years in the education of its children especially girls, as a result of the abduction.
He lamented that the incident and others, where school children have been victims of violence, had happened in a region where parents have to be persuaded to send their children to school.
“We will be taking 50 years back if we do not do anything. We welcome the intervention of the American government… Security is not just about bullets and guns, but about the welfare of the people,” he said.
Shah said his agency was working in the northern states to eradicate polio and provide education particularly for young girls.
He however noted that while the agency works to improve the welfare of the people, security lies in the hands of the governors.
“At the end of the day, security lies in your hands. The US, at the highest level, is committed to providing assistance to identify and rescue these victims,” he said.
Present at the meeting were Governors Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Idris Wada (Kogi) and Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa).
Others were the acting Governor of Taraba State, Garba Umar; the Deputy Governors of Benue and Kano States, Chief Steven Lawani and Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje respectively; and Zamfara State Secretary to the State Government.
The meeting, held at the residence of the USAID administrator, started at 8.30 pm. It was still ongoing at press time.
