by ‘Jola Sotubo

The Nigerian government has been indicted by the international community after recent revelations that it had refused help in finding the over 200 girls who were abducted from Chibok in Borno.

According to reports, The United Kingdom learned of the kidnapping and offered help to the Nigerian government on April 15, the day after the girls went missing.

Officials of the United States of America also revealed that they had offered the government help from “day one” but their offers of assistance were rebuffed.

The Nation reports:

It was only last week, three weeks after the Boko Haram raid of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, that President Goodluck Jonathan accepted the offers, one in a series of missteps that have led to growing international outrage against the government.

The federal authorities and the military high command were said to be initially uncomfortable with allowing foreigners run the show in the rescue operation.

The U.S., Britain, France and China are in the lead in providing mainly technical assistance in locating the girls.

However, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that up to 20 countries and international agencies have indicated interest in searching for the girls.

These according to him include Spain, Israel, several African countries, particularly neighbouring Chad, Cameroun, Niger Republic and Benin Republic as well as the International Criminal Police Organisation (Inerpol).

The President spoke at Oporoza in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, where he had gone to perform the groundbreaking of the NIMASA Shipyard and Dockyard and the Nigeria Maritime University in Okerenkoko.

“I’ve just had a communication with the president of Interpol (and) they are ready to key in with the Nigerian government to search the whole world. Wherever these girls are, we must get them,” he said.

He warned crime gangs and others who might be interested in trading in the girls to keep off, insisting that there would be no hiding place for whoever got involved in the heinous crime.

The Boko Haram leader, Ahmed Shekau, had threatened in a video message last week to sell off the girls.

Jonathan added: “Luckily, the international community is angry with the whole thing. We have support from other countries and we promise the world that we will get these girls out.

“I am very pleased with the support from the US, UK, China, France, Israel, Spain and others and the cooperation we are getting from neighbouring countries: Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Benin, Central Africa Republic and North African countries.

“We are totally committed; we will make sure that we get the girls out wherever they keep them.”

The president reaffirmed his conviction that the girls are still in Nigeria possibly in Sambisa forest in Borno State.

He said:”The story that they (Boko Haram) have sold them (the girls) is not true. You cannot buy any of those girls because where you are in the world, no sane person will attempt to go and keep these girls.”

He appealed to Nigerians to give peace a chance with a view to ensuring widespread development in the county.