Obasanjo Warns Military Officers Over Abducted Chibok Girls

Stop playing public relations propaganda with the abduction of over 200 female student that were kidnapped from their school in Chibok Borno State, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned the Nigerian military.

Reacting to comments made by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, that the Nigerian military knew the whereabouts of the abducted girls but can't go in to rescue them, Obasanjo said:

“This is not an issue that you will play public relations propaganda with. It is a serious issue that is like a spear in the heart of the parents and whatever statement we make and action we take, if it will not really deal with the issue in a way that will bring those girls out safe and secure and make their families happy and will also give every Nigerian a sense of security, then such statements should not be made.” 

Obasanjo said that he would be surprised if the Chibok girls are “returned intact.”

Asked to confirm whether or not he met with some relations of the Boko Haram leaders, Obasanjo said that he was planning to inform President Goodluck Jonathan before holding talks on the Chibok girls “but was surprised at how certain meetings have turned out.”

“I cannot have a plan without the Presidency being involved,” he said and added that he was not “going on a one-man mission,” to rescue the kidnapped girls, insisting that doing so would be unproductive

Obasanjo, who spoke with Channels TV in Lagos, said Shehu Sani was too fast to disclose the meetings.

He added, “I have to involve the President and he also tells me this is what we are doing or this is what we are pursuing either in addition or along with what we are doing or not”.

Speaking on Jonathan’s allegation that the girls' abduction was done to bring down his government, Obasanjo said such thought was “unfortunate.”

“If the Presidency is obsessed with one thing and one thing only and any other thing of concern to Nigeria is secondary then the Presidency will take that position, then this will be unfortunate,” he added.