The Nigerian Army has declared three persons – two men and a woman – wanted over alleged link to the terror group, Boko Haram, and for concealing information from it on the whereabout of the Chibok Girls kidnapped on April 14, 2014.
Journalist Ahmad Salkida, Ahmed U. Bolori and Aisha Wakil were declared wanted on Sunday after Boko Haram on Sunday released a video of the girls, showing some who are still alive and claiming others died in air strikes.
The video was the latest release from embattled Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who earlier this month denied claims that he had been replaced as the leader of the jihadist group.
“There is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram Terrorists and have contacts with them,” said Nigerian Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman in a statement.
“They must, therefore, come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok Girls and other abducted persons to enable us rescue them.”
Usman said the authorities of the Army believed that the wanted persons knew the exact locations of the girls but failed to volunteer the information to security agencies.
“The Nigerian Army hereby declare the two gentlemen and the lady wanted for interrogation. We are relying on the relevant laws of the land and in particular the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 (as amended) where Nigerians could be punished for failure to disclose information about terrorists or terrorists activities,” Usman said.
Salkida, one of the persons declared wanted, on Saturday night, said via his Twitter handle that the video was sent to him ‘exclusively’ before the girl’s abductors uploaded it on Youtube.
“Jama‘atu Ahlil Sunnah Li-Da‘awati Wal-Jihad #BH has released a video showing the abducted #Chibokgirls and restating their demands,” Salkida tweeted late on Saturday night.
“This is the second time Shekau has ordered a video of the girls to be released to the public, since the abduction of the girls 852 days ago.”
“I’m studying the video of the #Chibokgirls that was sent exclusively to me before their abductors upload on it YouTube later.”
On her part, Ms. Wakil, a lawyer, was in contact with the Nigerian government during the 2013 amnesty negotiations with the Boko Haram insurgents.
She is believed to have met with former President Goodluck Jonathan at the time as part of the negotiation, which later broke down.
Bolori, the third person declared wanted by the army, is known as coordinator of the Fa’ash Foundation and the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (Pave).
He lives in Maiduguri, Boko Haram’s birthplace and the epicentre of its insurgency. He witnessed the rise of the terror group, which turned violent in 2009.
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