FG Invites BBOG To Witness Efforts To Rescue Chiboks Girls, Group Allegedly Refuses

The Bring Back Our Girls Group has allegedly refused Nigeria’s government invitation to witness first hand, efforts by the army to rescue the rest of the Chibok Girls still in the captivity of extremist group,  Boko Haram.

The Federal Government had in a letter invited the group to be a part of a delegation that includes the Minister of Defence, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Army Staff and some selected journalists to join a trip to the Nigerian Air Force command centre in Yola, from where it will participate in night and day sorties with Air Force officials in Sambisa forest.

In the letter signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed,  a copy of which was seen by Abusidiqu, the group in addition to its coordinator and former minister, Oby Ezekwesili was asked to nominate three members of the movement that will embark on the exercise.

Government said the trip will enable the BBOG understand the efforts of the Nigerian military to ensure the freedom of the abducted girls and other abductees by the Boko Haram sect.

But rather than take the offer of the Nigerian government especially as it has continued to demand more efforts on the rescue of the girls, the group is said to have refused the offer.

Recall that the group has consistently protested against the Nigerian govt for its inability to rescue the remaining girls

BBOG has been in the forefront for the rescue of the kidnapped girls. It recently held a week long protest in Abuja, the nation’s capital alongside its daily sit out.

It is not immediately clear how exactly the group rejected the offer, but a source familiar with the details said the group refused to nominate any of its members for the trip.

Abusidiqu has not been able to reach the leadership of the group for comments.

We don’t know why BBOG rejected the offer to see for themselves military’s effort in the rescue of the kidnapped girls. They have been protesting about government’s alleged slow progress in the rescue of the girls but here they are not willing to see things for themselves,” a government official said.

Speaking further, he said; “With their action one will begin to wonder if BBOG is against this government in its effort to rescue the girls. One might begin to think BBOG’s refusal to partake in this trip is politically motivated.”