by ‘Jola Sotubo

Following a claim by the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, that the whereabouts of the abducted Chibok girls had been discovered, the United States has said that it can’t confirm the statement.

Spokeswoman for the US State Department, Jen Psaki stated this while also questioning the wisdom of making such information public.

When asked about the claim, she said:

“We don’t have independent information from the United States to support these reports you referenced.

“We, as a matter of policy and for the girls’ safety and wellbeing, would not discuss publicly this sort of information regardless,” Psaki stated.

The US has previously refused to share intelligence with the Nigerian Army due to fears that sensitive information could be leaked.