Cardinal
John Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, said the Nigerian government has to
carry out negotiations sooner or later to secure the release of the Chibok girls. His remarks came in the wake of the
release of a video by Boko Haram purportedly showing 15 of the kidnapped
schoolgirls.
The
Archbishop who spoke to Susy Hodges on the second anniversary of the
kidnapping of the
Chibok girls on Thursday April14, said he believes the government needs
"to go beyond a military response" to Boko Haram if they want to rescue
these girls and the thousands of other innocent civilians who are being
held by the Islamic group.
He revealed that there is widespread embarrassment among Nigerians on
this anniversary over the continuing failure to locate and rescue the
kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls despite a global media campaign.
"We are all very embarrassed and very ashamed that over 200 girls could disappear like this."
On the positive side, the Nigerian cardinal said he has learnt that
many of the people displaced from their homes by the Boko Haram
militants when they overran large swathes of territory in north eastern
Nigeria a couple of years ago are now returning to their villages
because of recent advances by the military against the Boko Haram. He
said the Islamic militants are now largely “confined to the inner areas
of the forest."
Asked about whether the government is likely to open negotiations to
secure the release of the Chibok schoolgirls and the hundreds of other
civilians seized by the Boko Hara militants, Cardinal Onaiyekan said he
firmly believes that a military campaign is not the sole means of
solving this problem.
“There have to be negotiations sooner or later. The
government needs to go beyond a military response." Cardinal Onaiyekan
said given the signs that many of the Boko Haram militants are now
"tired" and losing their impetus and much of the territory they once
controlled, they should be encouraged to hand in their arms and seek
reconciliation.
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