The Federal Government has said they have not received confirmation on the latest kidnap of 60 women in Chibbok and Damboa local government areas of Borno state.
Speaking in a telephone interview with PUNCH in Abuja on Tuesday, the Chairman of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri said he has spoken to quite a number of people, even the media that reported it and nobody has been able to confirm it. They all said they heard it from somebody.
He said, “Nobody has confirmed the abduction of 60 women including people from Damboa. I checked from the local government Information officer. He said that he heard from somebody.
“For me, up till now, I have not confirmed, because all the sources claimed they heard from somebody and that somebody is not identified by anybody.”
Related: No Fewer Than 20 Fulani Women, 3 Men Abducted By Boko Haram Near Chibok
Reacting to claims attributed to a lawyer close to Boko Haram, Hajia Aisha Wakil who said the insurgents were demanding release of 70 of their members as well as amnesty and rehabilitation, Omeri said the government could not act on claims in the media.
Related: Missing Chibok Girls: Boko Haram Ready To Negotiate, Demands Amnesty
According to him, he was not aware that Boko Haram had appointed Wakil as its spokesperson, adding that if she wants to present the views of the sect, she knows where to do so.
“Did you hear them say they have appointed her as their spokesperson? Boko Haram has not told us specifically who
they have appointed. We cannot act on spurious claims on pages of newspapers or on Al-Jazeera,” Omeri said.
It would be recalled that over 234 school girls were kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok Borno State by the Boko Haram sect on April 14.
Following their disappearance, there’s been reports of other abductions in Borno state. Yesterday, about 60 women were reportedly abducted from different villages in Borno.
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