By News Investigators – Fresh facts emerging on the state of the remaining 113 Chibok girls being held by the Boko Haram terrorists indicate that contrary to the recent assurances by government of their safe return, only about “15 of the girls are alive” in captivity and according to sources, “are married” to their abductors.
The indication was given by Ahmad Salkida, a journalist with contact with the Boko Haram hierarchy who said his latest investigation reveals that “many of the girls have died as a result of cross fires and bombardments of the security forces that no doubt were intent on rescuing them.
Mr. Salkida, in a series of tweets on Saturday, marking the 4th years of the abduction expressed pessimism about the possibility of having the girls back safely.
Mr. Salkida has been part of the negotiations made by the Jonathan’s government with Boko Haram to release the Chibok Girls, part of which involved a swap of the girls with arrested Boko Haram fighters, while the
The journalist opened the lid on the botched attempts by the government of Nigeria, mostly that led by former President Goodluck Jonathan to secure the release of Chibok girls through negotiations. He blamed the government for the failed attempts.
“I regret to state here that only 15 out of the 113 #Chibokgirls are alive today, based on my investigations in the last three months and we have already seen some of them in a video, which I exclusively obtained and was published on (SaharaReporters) website.
President Muhammadu Buhari had last week reassured of his determination to secure the safe return of the remaining girls and reunite them to their family.
According to Mr. Salkida, “Today, my painstaking investigations on the #Chibokschoolgirls revealed that just a handful of the 113 #ChibokGirls are alive.
“What is the status of the remaining 15 girls as far as negotiations are concerned? My investigations also revealed that, they are no longer under the control of #AbubakarShekau. According to sources, they are now ‘married’ and only their ‘husbands’ can decide their fates.
“If they are divorced or the men are killed that is when Shekau’s decision takes precedence, and in this instance, since the girls have been indoctrinated, their leader has no right to negotiate for their release, no matter the ransom offered, reliable multiple sources said.
“It will be unbearable to share the names of the 15 that are alive here, this is the responsibility of Government. When I was involved, I regularly provided proof of life. Government must demand that to prove me wrong or stop negotiating for many of the girls that don’t exists.
“The secrecy around the condition of the #ChibokGirls and most recent #DapchiGirls debacle by those involved is the reason people like me are out of the picture. The fact remains that under the present circumstances there is NO room for peace settlement.
“The way out for these girls, is a military rescue or negotiate wt individual captors to release their ‘wives’ in return for some kind of deal, but this will mean death to these fighters bcz the terror group now sees the girls as part of their own and must be protected.
“How comes there is little or no information about the girls and both the parents and campaigners are in the dark? Because, Government resist independent reporting of the crisis, most of the reports are choreographed & Nigerians are also not ready to hear the truth or stand by it,” he said.
“On the fate of 15 girls still in captivity, my investigations show, that they are no longer under the control of Abu Shekau. They are now married and only their husbands can decide their fates.
Giving details of how disappointed he was in Jonathan government, Mr. Salkida recounted that while he was in United Arab Emirate hustling, the government got in touch with him to assist in negotiating for he release of the Chibok Girls.
He said he left UAE for Nigeria and was given a strong military escort to Borno State and to Alargano, where the girls were initially camped, but the government backed out by failing to fulfil part of the deal on negotiation, while Boko Haram had moved the girls close in fulfilment of its part of the deal to release them.
Salkida disclosed in his tweets that the Jonathan government betrayed terms of negotiations with Boko Haram three times, a development which he said prodded him not to respect the government on the issue of negotiation with Boko Haram again.
“Many people did not know that two weeks into the abduction of the Chibok girls, the Jonathan government was in touch with me for peaceful release of the girls. By the way, I was in self exile after pressure from same government.
“I got a proof of life for the President and another for the media in case I did not get back. The demands of Boko Haram were simple. They wanted detained members taken to Damaturu and they will move the girls to Buniyardi for swap, somewhere in between. There was no word on ransom
On Arrival in Damaturu, the Military Commander there was not briefed about my work. He was merely told to expect a VIP at that time. The girls had been moved by Boko Haram, but there was no prisoner for exchange and I got a call from the former Chief Of Defence Staff to abort the operation.
“The President later said before me that he did not call off the swap. There was credible window, but zero will on the part of the government to rescue the girls.
“Boko Haram were angry. I returned to UAE to continue my hustle, but received invitations not only by the former administration, but the current government. we came close to a swap deal, but the government in most instances, did not provide the platform i presented with the required expetise. and when every government dragged its feet, Shekau will shift goal post”.
