Chibok schoolgirls abduction: Army ignored advance warning –Amnesty International

Posted by admin Armed Forces, Headlines Friday, May 9th, 2014

Amnesty International on Friday said the Nigerian military ignored advanced warnings on plan by the Boko Haram Islamic sect to carry out armed raid on Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State.

The group spoke as one of the victims’ father told CNN that the insurgents were usually supplied by helicopters.

Speaking with CNN correspondent, Isha Sesay, in Abuja on Friday, he said the matter was reported to the soldiers but nothing came out of it.

AI called on the Federal Government to provide adequate information to families of the abducted girls on its current efforts to ensure their safe release.

It also suggested that “the families – and the abducted girls, once they are freed – must be provided with adequate medical and psychological support.”

A statement issued by AI’s Africa Director (Research and Advocacy), Netsanet Belay, obtained by Saturday PUNCH in Abuja said after independently verifying information based on multiple interviews with credible sources, “the Nigerian security forces had more than four hours of advance warning about the attack but did not do enough to stop it.”

He said, “Damning testimonies gathered by Amnesty International reveal that Nigerian security forces failed to act on advance warnings about Boko Haram’s armed raid on the state-run boarding school in Chibok which led to the abduction of more than 240 schoolgirls on 14-15 April.

“The fact that Nigerian security forces knew about Boko Haram’s impending raid, but failed to take the immediate action needed to stop it, will only amplify the national and international outcry at this horrific crime.

“It amounts to a gross dereliction of Nigeria’s duty to protect civilians, who remain sitting ducks for such awp_posts