Twice, in three days, a journalist known for having access to Boko Haram leadership, Ahmad Salkida, took to Twitter, yesterday, with new information on schoolgirls who were abducted on April 14, 2014, from their school in Chibok, Borno State.
Last Saturday, in a series of tweets, Salkida said only 15, out of the 113 schoolgirls remaining in Boko Haram captivity were alive.
In new tweets, yesterday, Salkida said new information available to him, from two other cells within the sect, indicated that apart from the original 15 he knew were alive, there were 15 other girls still alive.
He wrote: “A leading member of the Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad or BH has now clarified the earlier information about 15 girls.
“Indeed, the 15 #Chibokgirls are available, but known to a particular cell that spoke to me emphatically days leading to the fourth anniversary.
“However, two other cells within the larger group have brought additional information, clarifying the earlier information; that there are another 10 girls available to another cell.
“Outside of the 15 and 10, another 5, amongst the girls, are also alive; as at early hours of today. (yesterday).”
With the new information, the total number of the girls, reportedly, alive are 30.
Salkida explained that the set of five, according to the group, are now allegedly embedded in the doctrines and teaching programmes of Boko Haram and so, have expressed no desire to return home.
Almost immediately, the Federal Government dismissed Salkida’s claim and said facts available to it indicated that all the remaining 113 girls in Boko Haram captivity are alive.
Also, the Defence Headquarters, in a similar manner, questioned Salkida’s claim that 98 of the abducted girls were dead.
Regarless, according to TheCable, Salkida challenged government to release a proof of live video.
Salkida said the objective of his earlier tweets was to compel government and Boko Haram to speak but that government was unnecessarily defensive.
“It is most disappointing that the federal government, in its might and given the machinery available to it, peremptorily declared to the public that it lacks institutional memory regarding the processes of the #Chibokgirls,” he wrote.
-Sun