• Interior minister orders IGP, NSCDC boss to relocate to North East

Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri, Bimbola Oyesola, Lagos, Molly Kilete, Abuja and Tony John, Port Harcourt

The plight of the 110 students of Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State has drawn global attention with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, calling for their immediate and unconditional release.
Mr. Guterres, in a statement by his spokesman on Nigeria, Stephane Dujarric, yesterday, condemned the attack that led to the abduction of the girls by suspected Boko Haram terrorists from their school on Monday last week.
The UN boss, who is gravely concerned over the situation, asked the Nigerian government to ensure the safe return of the girls to their families. He also urged the national authorities to swiftly bring those responsible for the act to justice.
The Secretary-General further reassured the Federal Government of the solidarity and support of the United Nations and other affected countries in the region in their fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to ensure the release of all Nigerians in the custody of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Minister directs IGP, NSCDC boss to relocate to North East
Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, has directed the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Muhammadu, to relocate to the North East.
The Presidency disclosed this yesterday in a series of messages posted on its Twitter handle, @NGRPresident. According to the message, the two security chiefs were asked to liaise with the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole as well as governors of the affected states to ensure deployment of personnel to all schools in liberated areas in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states.
“The Minister of Interior has directed the IG of Police and the Commandant General of NSCDC to relocate to the northeast and liaise with the theatre commander of #OpLafiyaDole and Govs of Yobe, Borno & Adamawa to ensure deployment of personnel to all schools in liberated areas in the states,” one of the messages read.
“The minister said that the directive has become necessary to forestall a re-occurrence of the attack on innocent school children,” another message read.

More soldiers arrive Dapchi
In apparent deference to the presidential directive, more military troops and personnel of the NSCDC have been deployed in Dapchi.
Residents said more soldiers arrived the town yesterday to join their colleagues and the NSCDC men that came earlier in the week.
“There are many soldiers here now apart from the security defence corps and a few soldiers that came on Monday,” Bashir Ali, a resident told The Sun on phone.
One of the parents of the abducted girls, Mamuga Lawan Dapchi also confirmed the heavy presence of military troops in the town.
Last Thursday, soldiers deployed to the town in the wake of the abduction were withdrawn shortly after the Federal Government delegation led by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed departed the town, leaving policemen to handle security in the troubled town.
When The Sun reporter visited last Friday and Saturday, there were no soldiers in the town and even at the school where the abduction took place. The school was largely deserted with no security personnel around.

NAF denies deploying 100 aircraft
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has denied news making the rounds that it had deployed 100 aircraft to search for the missing schoolgirls.
National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno, had while on a courtesy visit to Yobe State revealed that NAF had deployed at least 100 fighter jets as search for the 110 schoolgirls entered its second week,
In the report quoted by a national daily (not The Sun), already 20 of the jets have flown 200 hours as at late Monday, February 26, according to a fact sheet on the search released by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.
The report had also quoted General Monguno, who visited Governor Ibrahim Gaidam in Damaturu, the Yobe state, on Tuesday, as announcing that 80 other planes would join the rally.
But in a swift reaction, the NAF, denied the report saying that the NSA, who was in company of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar during the visit only spoke about the number of sorties the NAF had conducted in the course of searching for the missing girls.
“Obviously, the number of sorties does not equate the number of aircraft deployed,” NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya said.

Abduction vindicates us – PDP
The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government for failure to provide security for Nigerians.
It said the recent abduction of the Dapchi-110 has vindicated PDP.
State Publicity Secretary of the party, Samuel Nwanosike, stated this, yesterday, at the official reception of over 2,000 former members of pro-APC group, Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM), in Rumueme,  Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
Nwanosike said: “It shows that the government of Buhari has failed in the promise they made to Nigerians that they would conquer and completely destroy Boko Haram and any other organization that posses danger to the lives of Nigerians. That is what he swore with the Koran when he took oath of office.”
He wondered how Boko Haram terrorists could gain access into a militarised area like Dapchi and kidnap such high number schoolgirls.
“The kidnap of the Dapchi girls is a proof that the Federal Government has failed Nigerians. This government is full of lies. This is a government that recently came out to tell the whole public that they have defeated Boko Haram. Who are these people that abducted these girls? Who are these people that will come in the face of defeat? Which Boko Haram has received these girls? Who on earth will go to Yobe that is highly militarised to take over 100 girls? It means they have failed.
“The government is insensitive to the plights of the people of the nation.  I don’t think the president knows he is the chief security officer of the country. Look at what Trump did in the case of Florida shooting. You see the kind of attention he gave to Americans that died, you will see what Nigerians want from our presidents? We, in the PDP, have been vindicated.”

‘Buhari, security chiefs should resign’
Speakers at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) 40th anniversarycelebration lecture, yesterday, unanimously called on President Muhammadu Buhari, his security chiefs and others whose duty it was to provide protection and adequate security for the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls to resign immediately.
Leading the call were Prof. Member Gonye from Benue State University who was one of the lead discussants and the first president of NLC, Hassan Sunmonu.
Gonye noted that it was unfortunate that a gang of Boko Haram criminals could walk into a school and take away the innocent students.
She noted that if something like that had taken place in America or other developed countries, those affected would have resigned.
The theme of the lecture was “NLC @ 40: Yesterday, today and tomorrow, national unity and social justice.” It was delivered by former university lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University and Professor of  Botany, Toye Olorode, while Sylvester Ejiofoh, Dr. Yahaya Hashim, Chief Femi Falana were co-discussants.

 

…FG panel begins work

The Federal Government has raised the alarm over the actual number of girls abducted from the Government Girl’s Science Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, by Boko Haram terrorists group.  This is even as government described the  abduction as worrisome and an embarrassment to the nation.
National Security Adviser, NSA, Major-General Babagana Mungono, made this known when he  inaugurated a 12-man committee to unravel  the circumstances surrounding the kidnap of the female students.
Mungono, while charging the committee members to not only unravel the actual number of girls abducted by the terrorists but their identity also, said this has become necessary to ascertain the total number of girls that were abducted.
According to him, the abduction is a worrisome incident that requires deliberate, urgent and relentless efforts on the part of government.
“There has been conflicting reports from various quarters on the event that led to the abduction, the number of persons abducted, as well as their identity.
“This does not portray the country in good light. There have also been reports, especially in the social media which tends to support some level of inactivity by relevant organizations. Therefore, there is a need to verify the circumstances surrounding the abduction of these girls from the Government Girls Secondary School.”
Chairman of the committee, Real Admiral Victor Adedipe assured the NSA of the commitment of the members to ensure that the findings are authentic and unbiased.