Ahmed Zana, a Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial in the Nigerian Senate disclosed in the National Assembly on Tuesday that information available to him indicated that most of the over 200 girls abducted in Chibok about three weeks ago have been moved to Chad and Cameroon.
He added that some of the girls are in Chukungidiya in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Senator spoke while contributing to a motion sponsored by Senate leader Victor Ndoma Egba and other 107 Senators to condemn the abduction of the school girls and the Nyanya bomb blast that claimed the lives of over 75 persons recently.
But Senator Zana whose constituency included the Chibok area where the girls were kidnapped also disclosed that the girls have been forcefully married by the insurgents who are currently residing in some of the 40 islands in Borno.
“I have been constantly in touch with the security agencies, telling them the developments, the movement of the girls from one place to the other and then the splitting of the girls and eventually the marriage of these girls by the insurgents.
“What bothers me most is that whenever I inform where these girls are, after two to three days, they will be moved from that place to another and still, I will go back and inform them that see, this is what is happening.
But I lost hope two days ago when I found out that some of them were moved to Chad and Cameroon.
Actually, some of them move through the Mandara Mountain, that is in Gwoza and some of them are just a stone throw from their barracks, even now as I am talking to you, in Cameroon because it is in Kolofata, which is in Cameroon about 15 kilometre or even less to the borders.
“One of the insurgents called somebody in Bama and said I just got married and said I am now settling in Kolofata and then three or four days ago, some Fulani men reported that they saw some girls being taken by boats into the island in Lake Chad and that some of them happened to be between Marte and Mungonu, maybe,” said the Senator.
While contributing to the motion, another Senator from Borno, Ali Ndume, said the military attempt to rescue the girls was hampered by lack of information when the kidnapping occurred.
While narrating how the girls were abducted, Ndume said when the insurgents arrived at Chibok, they went to the Motor Park and seized seven vehicles to add to the ones they came with.
“The commanders had alleged that their allowances were not being paid and that the number of soldiers are inadequate. There is no new equipment, all of them are old. The other time we went there, one of the armoured tanks broke down and we had to tow it with another vehicle”—Senator Ali Ndume.
He also said the military has not been able to rout Boko Haram because the troops were not well motivated and equipped for the task.
“The commanders had alleged that their allowances were not being paid and that the number of soldiers are inadequate. There is no new equipment, all of them are old. The other time we went there, one of the armoured tanks broke down and we had to tow it with another vehicle, said the Senator.
Senate president David Mark had while welcoming the Senators who were resuming after a three week break called attention of the lawmakers to the raging insurgency in North east Nigeria which he likened to war. He said only a decisive action by the government against the insurgents can save the country.
“There is no doubt that our nation is at war. The enemy has clearly and unequivocally served the nation notice of its vile intentions. Therefore, a clear, unambiguous and decisive military response from the Government, beyond the imposition of a state of emergency, is urgently required in this circumstance. This is an option we must consider now.
“It is obvious that we are dealing with insurgents and well funded nihilists who are determined to violently trample upon the secularity of the Nigerian State and destroy the country.
“A modern, vibrant, progressive, multi-ethnic, multi-religious Nigeria is an anathema to them. Because they are fired by zealotry and extremism, they are not likely to be swayed by overtures of any kind. We must henceforth shift from fighting terrorism to fighting insurgency,” Mark said while setting off the emotional debate that lasted over three hours.
Senators who contributed to the debate also identified lack of cooperation from the local communities, inferior military equipment, lack of motivation, and insufficient personnel as the major factors impeding the war against the success of the military in the war against the insurgents.
The Senators noted that the abduction of the school girls was a clear indication of the deteriorating security situation in Borno and other parts of the country.
“I had a 30 minutes chat with the traditional ruler in Chibok yesterday and the briefing he gave to me is identical with the submission of Senator Zana and the other people from Borno State,” the Senate President said while making his own contribution to the motion.
But he added the problem is not so much as to whether the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram are even in the country now or not, but that 234 girls can disappear and up till now none has been rescued. He also noted that the 53 girls who are back escaped on their own.
“The story that Ndume narrated about soldiers going in the wrong direction when they got the information is a clear indication of what we are in for. The people we are dealing with are well trained. They are not terrorists, they are insurgents. All along we have been reactive, if we are not proactive we cannot deal with it.
“I have been in the fore front of saying we must dialogue with them but I think we must take the battle to a level where they also must beg for dialogue.
“We cannot do this unless the locals on group there corporate with the members of the armed forces,” said Senator Mark.
The Senate subsequently adopted the prayers of the motion which includes urging the federal government and all security agencies to intensify efforts aimed at rescuing the abducted girls and seeking the support of the United Nations Security Council and other international organisations in the battle against Boko Haram insurgents.
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