Contrary to widespread national and international media reports, investigations by the Nigeria Police and military troops stationed in Borno State have revealed that no Fulani woman was abducted last weekend by members of the Boko Haram terrorists operating in the North East.
There were reports that on June 7, the day that Nigerian military personnel ambushed and killed some 50 insurgents on their way to attacking some villages around Chibok, insurgents abducted at least 20 Fulani women.
Coordinator of the National Information Centre (NIC) Mr. Mike Omeri made the clarification on Friday while briefing the press on efforts being made to curtail the insurgency and bring back the over 200 Chibok secondary school girls abducted close to two months ago.
“The story of the abduction of Fulani women is improbably. Troops on ground have said that no such reports have been received. It has been confirmed that there is no police report to the effect that Fulani women have been abducted. This story may likely be part of the general misinformation being peddled to create the impression that the insurgents are inaccessible”, Omeri stated.
President Goodluck Jonathan has also invited all former Heads of States to a meeting in Abuja next week also to discuss the raging insecurity issues in many parts of the country.
Some parts of northern Nigeria have been embroiled in various forms of unrest in recent times.
Already, Nigeria, Benin Republic, Cameroun, Chad, Niger, United Kingdom, France and the United States have jointly established an External Intelligence Response Unit (EIRU).
The EIRU was the outcome of memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the countries wherein they committed themselves to sharing all forms of information on security particularly terrorism challenges.
The move was initiated by Nigeria and was a fall out of the Paris Summit convened by French President, Francois Hollandaise.
Omeri, who is also Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) said the formation of EIRU was a major achievement in the fight against insurgency in the West African Sub-region and Nigeria in particular.
The NIC Coordinator announced that surveillance and patrols by land and air activities of troops have continued in the North East and other parts of the country to curtail terrorists’ activities and armed groups.
And as part of concerted efforts to defeat the terrorists, Nigerian military high command is currently engaging their counterparts from Sri Lanka- the only country known to have successfully rooted out terrorists.
The NOA on its own is equally organising a Safe-School Security Awareness Workshop on June 24 and 25 at the Command Officers’ Mess, Asokoro for teachers, school proprietors, school administrators and parents/teachers associations.
