Ahmad Salkida, a Nigerian journalist known for having access to the Boko Haram terror group, has updated his story on the number of Chibok girls still alive in Boko Haram captivity.
Recall that 276 girls were kidnapped by the dreaded terror group from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014.
On the 4th anniversary of the incident on Saturday, Salkida had tweeted that only 15 of the 115 girls still in captivity were still alive, prompting the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu to describe the journalist’s information as “fake.”
But taking to his Twitter handle on Tuesday, Salkida stated that new information had revealed that 30, not, 15 of the 115 remaining girls were still alive.
He tweeted, “1/ The objectives of my earlier tweets marking the 4 yr anniversary of the abduction of the #Chibokgirls included, one, stir debate. Two, compel Govt and the insurgents to come clean with whatever info they have. Three, ensure the parents have current and accurate information.
“2/ Indeed, the anniversary tweets have accomplished the objectives it was set out to achieve. Number one, the media, locally and internationally feasted on the tweets, commentators have analysed the issues I raised, so that’s the debate. The debate is still ongoing.
“3/ Number two objectives was to compel Govt & BH to speak. The Govt is still unnecessarily defensive, I will come to that later. BH just responded in a manner that bares all the info concerning the status of the #Chibokgirls & the basis of my tweets is to highlight their response
“4/ 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 4th anniversary.
“5/ However, two other cells within the larger group has brought additional information, clarifying the earlier information, that there is 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.
“6/ But the set of 5, according to the group today, have apparently become permanently embedded in the doctrines and teaching programs of the Sect and have asked not to be considered amongst those likely be included in any release in the future, if there would be any.
“7/ In BH, you do not know what you don’t have access to because of the segmentation of authority. It’s part of the ethos of criminality to restrict access of lieutenants to critical information. You only know what obtains in the cell you control.
“8/ However, the group has confirmed my earlier tweets that all the 15 #Chibokgirls , including the set of five are ‘married’ and the terms of their release, for those that want to be released, are consistent with the details I provided in my 4th anniversary tweets.
“9/ Back to the response of the presidency, it is most disappointing that the 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.
“10/ “82 girls were killed” amongst 100’s of other hostages that are unheard-of, mainly in crossfires and bombardments, “some died long ago, some more recently,” a few are single or ‘widowed’ and it’s unbearable to publish their names here. This is the story of the #Chibokgirls.”