—US personnel, assets arrive
—We can rescue the girls – Military
—Clinton: Nigeria’s govt has failed
By Jibrin Baba Ndace, Abuja, Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna, and Sadiq Abubakar, Maiduguri
Less than 48 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan accepted an offer by the United States government to assist in the effort to rescue the schoolgirls abducted more than three weeks ago in Chibok, Borno state, the country yesterday deployed security personnel and assets to Nigeria, Blueprint can authoritatively report.
The deployment was part of efforts being made at strengthening the ongoing fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.
Our reporter gathered that the deployment, which began yesterday, includes personnel and assets that would be used for search and rescue of the girls.
The personnel, who are trained in counter-terrorism, are expected to work with their Nigeria counterparts.
The assets include trucks, information and communication arsenals that would assist Nigerian troops in locating the hapless girls from where their abductors are keeping them.
There has been a groundswell of protests by various groups across the country over the abduction, with some people accusing the security agencies of not doing enough.
Furthermore, the development has also led to trading blame between the federal and Borno state governments, which accuse each other of insensitivity.
It was in response to this that the US promised to give a helping hand, just as China, UK and France promised to join forces with Nigeria to find the girls.
Sources told Blueprint that the arrival of the US personnel and assets was the first step towards fulfilling the promise made by the American government in the rescue effort.
“This is the first step to prove the US’ commitment and seriousness to support Nigeria’s security forces to rescue the Chibok girls,” the source, which craved anonymity, said.
“Above all, it is to provide the needed support to Nigeria’s security agencies in terms of intelligence-gathering through superior technology.
“And this is not an attempt to undermine the capacity of Nigeria’s security forces. But US has acquired more experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of the world. US also has superior technology, which it will deploy in support of the operation in the north-east.”
Speaking on the different kinds of support America had provided underground for Nigeria since the insurgency broke out, our source said: “The US government has been supporting the Nigerian armed forces and other security agencies in various ways, which is not known to the public.
“US has been involved in capacity-building for military personnel. There have been various workshops on civil–military relations, strategic communication and counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency, which were supported by the United States.
“Through such collaboration, the Nigerian Army established Nigerian Army Special Operations Command (NASOC).”
Meanwhile, former United States Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, last night hit hard at the Nigerian government over the abduction of female students.
The former First Lady said Nigeria has failed to confront its underlying challenges, which she said are responsible for the country’s crises.
She said the country is losing its territory to insurgency.
In an interview with ABC, Clinton blasted the Nigerian government on the grounds that it squandered its oil wealth and allowed corruption to fester under its watch.
Clinton, who granted the interview shortly after the International Crisis Group’s annual award dinner in New York, opined, “Nigeria has made bad choices, not hard choices. They have squandered their oil wealth, they have allowed corruption to fester and now they are losing control of parts of their territory because they wouldn’t make hard choices.
“The Nigerian government has failed to confront the threat or to address the underlying challenges.
“Most of all, the government of Nigeria needs to get serious about protecting all of its citizens and ensuring that every child has the right and opportunity to go to school.
“Every asset and expertise should be brought to bear. Everyone needs to see this for what it is, it is a gross human rights abuse but it is also part of a continuing struggle within Nigeria and within North Africa.”
On the abduction of female students in Nigeria, Clinton condemned the act, saying, “The seizure of these young women by this radical, extremist group, Boko Haram, is abominable, it’s criminal, it’s an act of terrorism and it really merits the fullest response possible, first and foremost from the government of Nigeria.
“The government of Nigeria has been, in my view, somewhat derelict in its responsibility toward protecting boy and girls, men and women in northern Nigeria over the last years.”
She concluded that Nigeria must accept help.
“The Nigerian government must accept help, particularly intelligence, surveillance and recognizance help their troops have to be the ones that (are) necessary but they could do a better job if they accept the offers that are being made.”
In a related development, the Defence Headquarters has dissociated itself from a statement credited to it in a report by a section of the media alleging that the military lacked capacity to rescue the abducted girls.
The Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, said in a press release made available to reporters in Maiduguri yesterday: “It is unfortunate that the constructive engagement between the DHQ and the Coalition of Civil Society Group ‘Open Society Foundation’ on Tuesday in the ongoing effort to rescue the Chibok girls has again been distorted and sensationalised, ostensibly to pitch public opinion against the Armed Forces.
“The import of the meeting between DHQ and the group was misrepresented, apparently to project the Nigerian military in bad light and further heat up the polity. It must be noted that the military by training is not given to complaining, buck-passing or resignation to defeat as alleged in the report.
“While the Armed Forces will not want to join issues with the representatives of the ‘bring back the girls’ group, it is important to reiterate that no attempt by any group or individual to drag the military into politics will succeed as the Armed Forces is focused on the task of rescuing the abducted girls.
“The DHQ wishes to reassure the Nigerian public that in spite of the antics of those who are bent on undermining the efforts of the Armed Forces, the counter-insurgency operation in the northeast and other internal security operation ongoing across the country will be effectively prosecuted.
“The Nigerian military has nothing against the bring back the girls campaign but endorses it as a vital component of the nation’s efforts to end terrorism. Nevertheless, it is requested that the civil society platform is not used by individuals to undermine efforts at bringing back our girl from captivity.
“The military aspect of the campaign is on course and the Armed Forces is optimistic that the collaborative efforts will end the unfortunate crisis.”