The Nigerian Army has declared a journalist, Ahmed Salkida, and two others, Ahmed Bolori and Aisha Wakil, wanted for their alleged connection with Boko Haram.
The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, on Sunday via email, saying the army decided to declare Salkida and the two others wanted because of the conviction that they had relevant information on the location of the Chibok girls.
He said that the army’s decision had to do with the two recent videos released by the leadership of the insurgent group and the findings by a preliminary investigation by the military on the videos.
He stressed that the military was sure that Salkida and the two others had contact with the terrorists and the missing girls.
Usman said that the three wanted people must come forward to tell Nigerians where the missing girls and other abducted persons were being kept to enable the military to rescue them.
‘‘There is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram.”
The acting Army Spokesman called on Nigerians to provide useful information that could lead to the arrest of the three wanted persons.
Wakil, who is a lawyer, was in contact with the Federal Government in 2013, during the amnesty negotiations with the insurgents.
She was reported to have met with former President Goodluck Jonathan as part of the negotiation, which later broke down.
Bolori is said to be the coordinator of the Fa’ash Foundation and the Partnership Against Violent Extremism. He resides in Maiduguri.
I got the video exclusive before release –Salkida
Salkida had on Saturday went on his Twitter handle, @ContactSalkida, to announce that he had obtained the video of the Chibok girls exclusively from Boko Haram.
In a series of tweets, the journalist analysed what he saw in the video, saying one of the girls in the video said airstrikes by the military had allegedly killed some of her colleagues.
He said, “Just In: Jama‘atu Ahlil Sunnah Li-Da‘awati Wal-Jihad #BH has released a video showing the abducted #Chibokgirls and restating their demands.
“This is the second time Shekau has ordered a video of the girls to be released to the public since the abduction of the girls 852 days ago.
“I’m studying the video of the #Chibokgirls that was sent exclusively to me before their abductors upload on it YouTube later. @BBOG_Nigeria.
“Many of the girls can be seen in the video; a Chibok girl speaks in mother tongue and narrates how airstrikes has killed dozens of her mates.
Salkida later twitted the YouTube link to the video on Sunday morning.
In what appeared to be a change of tone after the military declared him and others wanted, Salkida tweeted links to his report published on December 12, 2011, in which he said he was critical of Boko Haram.
He tweeted the link together with another link to another report by him on the division in the camp of the sect, saying, “Recently, BH threatened me for this.”
After this, Salkida twitted a link to a paper he said he delivered in Senegal in 2012, titled ‘Reporting Terrorism in Africa: My Personal Experience with Boko Haram.’
Stories by: Niyi Odebode, Sesan Olufowobi, Fidelis Soriwei, Everest Amaefule, Adelani Adepegba, Leke Baiyewu, Raman Oladimeji and Kayode Idowu.
- PUNCH
