According to Andrew Pocock, former British High Commsiioner
to Nigeria, in an interview he had with Sunday Times, he said that,
surveillance and intelligence reports from Britain and America knew the
location of the Chibok girls.
He said, "A couple of months after the kidnapping,
fly-bys and an American 'Eye In The Sky' spotted a group of up to 80 girls in a
particular spot in the Sambisa forest, around a very large tree, called locally
the Tree of Life, along with evidence of vehicular movement and a large
encampment".
Any rescue attempt would have had fatal results both for the
girls and the rescuers. "A land-based attack would have been seen
coming miles away and the girls killed," he added. "An air-based
rescue, such as flying in helicopters or Hercules, would have required large
numbers and meant a significant risk to the rescuers and even more so to the
girls."
It was a dilemma,
"You might have rescued a few but many would have been killed," he
added. "My personal fear was always about the girls not in that encampment
— 80 were there, but 250 were taken, so the bulk were not there. What would have
happened to them? You were damned if you do and damned if you don't."
Meanwhile Stephen Davis the Australian negotiator, involved
in negotiating for the girls’ freedom, says that "If they could release
that many, that belies the argument that the girls would be killed in the
process," he said this in referral to the rescued 80.
"It's not hard to see where the five or
six main camps are," he added. "I can see them on Google Earth. You
tell me they can't see these camps from satellite tracking or drones?"
This revelation by Pocock, has a lot of
implications and has fingers pointed at several directions as well as a lot of
unanswered questions. Why is this coming out now in 2016? What are your
thoughts on this?
I am yet to TOTALLY understand the mysterious "hush hush" surrounding the Chibok kidnapping.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame truly, we really have a long way to go. #CrazySaboo.
ReplyDeleteAbegiii the whole chibok tin is a scam joor. the us army have done rescue in more dangerous situations na.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the Chibok incident was a scam and it is unfortunate that we have become so de-sensitised and cynical in Nigeria that this sort of inhuman attack and kidnapping has become so highly politicised. This is a country that I have deep love for, but one that is so incredibly flawed that it breaks my heart to see something like this happen and a sitting government has been unable to rescue these girls. Their families are in anguish and living in fear and heartbreak because they cannot say what has become of their daughters. Isn't this why invariably all we do is have recourse to God? I say by now He must be sick and tired of Nigerians for our inability to plan, implement and thrive. So scary this country. So scary. Couldn't they have undertaken an operation to rescue those 80? Lives may be lost, but won't it be better to rescue some than to allow lawless bandits to rule and do with the girl citizens as they please? Can you imagine this is another country? We have numbers and we have money, couldn't we have strategised and executed?
ReplyDeleteThe Chibok girls kidnap is still a mystery. on it's face value it looks like a sham but its only God that knows the true position of things.
ReplyDelete