FBI SET TO JOIN HUNT FOR CHIBOK SCHOOLGIRLS

Agents from the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), possibly from the New York field office, will reportedly join a US team heading to Nigeria to help find the 200 plus abducted schoolgirls, even as President Goodluck Jonathan told participants at the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA) in Abuja yesterday that the kidnapping of the students would mark the beginning of the end of terrorism in the country.
If the FBI gets the go-ahead of the US government to come to Nigeria, they will be joining seven military personnel, who the Cable News Network (CNN) reported yesterday, are expected to arrive the country today.
This is just as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bill and Melinda Gates, Aliko Dangote, Mo Ibrahim, Ted Turner and Francois-Henri Pinault, among other eminent business, civil society and religious leaders joined the global call for urgent action and resources to find and free the schoolgirls who were kidnapped from Secondary School, Chibok, by members of Boko Haram almost four weeks ago.
They were joined by former First Lady of the US, Hillary Clinton, who for the second time this week described the abduction as “abominable”, “criminal” and “an act of terrorism.”
She also urged the federal government to accept international help to assist in finding the girls.
On the involvement of the FBI in the search for the girls, a law enforcement source, who opened up on the US deployment to Nigeria, told Sky News that the bureau had offered to take part.

The source said the agents were likely to come from the New York FBI field office, which has the responsibility for that part of the world. It is also the main counter-terror operations unit.
The US had announced this week that military personnel and law enforcement officials with expertise in hostage negotiations would be sent as soon as possible to assist the Nigerian government in the search.
State Department spokesman Jen Psaki said the offer of assistance was welcomed by Jonathan.
US President Barack Obama said the kidnapping could be “the event that helps to mobilise the entire international community to finally do something against this horrendous organisation (Boko Haram)”.
“It’s a heartbreaking situation, outrageous situation,” the US president told US broadcaster ABC.
Yesterday, Obama spoke again on the abducted girls, stating: “Everyday when I wake up, I think of the school girls in Nigeria or the children in Syria, makes me want to reach out to save those kids.”
Source: Thisday