Obasanjo says half of Chibok girls may never be found

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that half of nearly 300 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok, Borno State, may never be found despite ongoing rescue efforts.

Obasanjo told Premium Times yesterday it would be “inconceivable” to have all the girls back, and that it would be a “near-miracle” if that happens.

“It’s inconceivable to get all of them back. If you get all of them back, I will consider it a near-miracle,” said the former president, who spoke by telephone from Senegal.

“Do you think they will hold all of them together up till now? The logistics for them to do that, holding over 200 girls together, is too much.”

The girls have spent two months in captivity.

Obasanjo said the Nigerian government failed to act early enough after the raid by Boko Haram sect.

The best option now, he said, is for the government to negotiate with the insurgents.

It took President Goodluck Jonathan three weeks to publicly comment on the abduction, and to respond by naming a “fact-finding” committee.

“72 hours was already too late. If the administration had acted quickly, we could have rescued them,” he said. “The best it seems we can have now is if the government agrees to negotiate, we can get half.”

The former president said he has tabled his proposal to commence talks with Boko Haram before President Jonathan, but has yet to receive a feedback.

Without a response from the authorities, no one can proceed, Mr. Obasanjo said.

“If they agree to negotiate then we can begin to talk with them (Boko Haram),” he said. “Nobody can do anything alone. You cannot do it alone, it is not a one man mission, it’s not even a two man mission. It’s a collective mission. It can even be an international mission,” he said.

Mr. Obasanjo said it is possible the government considers his proposal “irrelevant” and was moving through with another process.