•Ex-Pentagon chief: Nigerian military has been infiltrated by sect
A friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury has been working secretly to help free the Chibok schoolgirls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists over a month ago, the London-based Sunday Times has revealed.
Stephen Davis, a former canon at Coventry Cathedral, is said to have held face-to-face talks with a senior commander of the group after travelling to its stronghold and sleeping out in the bush.
This is just as the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), through its spokesman, Major-General Chris Olukolade, has revealed that the Nigerian Air Force has flown 300 sorties in the hunt for the girls.
He also refused to deny or confirm reports that the military had advanced warning of the attack on Chibok community where the girls were abducted, explaining that the military had failed to act because it had in the past received several advanced warnings in the North-east that turned out to be frivolous.
The Sunday Times' story confirmed THISDAY’s exclusive report last week that other than Ahmad Salkida, a former Nigerian journalist who once worked with two Abuja-based newspapers – Daily Trust and Blueprint but had relocated to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), two other people had been contacted by the presidency to assist with the negotiations with Boko Haram for the release of the kidnapped students.
Aliyu Teshaku, an indigene of Benue State, and Davis, a foreigner with experience in hostage negotiation, were also contacted by the presidency to negotiate the release of the girls.
Davies, however, is not working in isolation, as presidency sources had revealed to THISDAY that he is working in conjunction with Mrs. Aisha Wakil, who had previously presented herself as the mother figure of Boko Haram adherents and had repeatedly pleaded with the sect to stop their attacks.
Wakil, who is of Igbo parentage, is married to a northerner and converted to Islam several years ago.
She was also a member of the Tanimu Turaki-led peace committee set up by the federal government last year to hold dialogue with the terrorists to end the violence.
Davis told the Sunday Times that he has been in Nigeria for almost a month after being recruited by the country’s president for his hostage negotiation expertise.
He previously worked in Nigeria with Justin Welby, head of the Anglican Church, to broker a truce between militants in the Niger Delta and the government. The pair were frequently blindfolded and held at gunpoint during their work.
300 Sorties Flown to Look for Girls
Negotiations aside, it was also revealed yesterday that the Nigerian military had flown more than 300 sorties in the search for the abducted schoolgirls.
DHQ spokesman told ITV News, in his first interview with the British media, that since the kidnapping happened, the level of surveillance “has been heightened” and two army divisions had been mobilised in the hunt for the girls.
He said: “Since the incident happened, the level of surveillance over the area has been heightened. We have a higher level of air force flights - virtually on a 24-hour basis. We have flown over 300 sorties over the entire area and the border areas.
“The army has mobilised over two divisions of its forces to get involved and focus on the search for the girls. The security agencies in all the border locations have been alerted to coordinate with the two divisions.”
He added that all options remain on the table to rescue the girls, including talks and military action.
The military spokesman told ITV News that since the abduction, the military had been receiving incorrect and misleading information about their possible whereabouts - some of which they believe could have come from Boko Haram itself.
Olukolade explained that being under the international media spotlight had been both a help and hindrance to the military efforts.
He said: “Hindrance in the sense that there has been a lot of misunderstanding about what is happening on the ground, a lot of blame and buck passing - some of it with political undertones. But the positive side of it is that it has called on international attention, in combating a crime that is both trans-border and global. Terrorism has become that. All nations must collaborate to deal with this crime.”
Olukolade said discussions between Nigeria and Britain were ongoing about the help Britain can provide for the operations to bring the girls home safely.
Asked if the Nigerian army had been given a four-hour warning ahead of the abduction, as had been alleged, Olukolade said: "I would not say that was true nor would I deny it.”
He added: “I must put in perspective the situation on the ground. We get information every second of a likely attack from practically every community in the whole of the North-east, so this is nothing new. And most of it turns out to be very frivolous. Up till now, we get frivolous and misleading information from that area, so it’s not unlikely that people are latching on to this kind of thing and calling it a warning.”
He went on to explain that those involved with the kidnapping were stopped by military patrols, and after questioning it became apparent they were “up to mischief” and the troops called for reinforcements. Those reinforcements were ambushed but further troops were deployed.
He said: “The information going out there to give the impression that there was no response is part of the campaign to discredit the Nigerian military.”
Source: Thisday
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