Boko Haram releases Video of Chibok Girls | Defence Headquarters responds

Boko Haram has released a video purporting to show some of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.

Approximately 50 girls wearing headscarves are seen behind a Boko Haram militant who demands the release of fighters in return for the release of the girls.

The group seized 276 girls from their school in the northern town of Chibok, of which 219 are believed to remain in captivity.
This is the third video said to show the Chibok girls since they were captured.

Warning! Graphic content at the end

Just In: Jama‘atu Ahlil Sunnah Li-Da‘awati Wal-Jihad #BH has released a video showing the abducted #Chibokgirls and restating their demands.

— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) August 13, 2016

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.

— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) August 13, 2016

I’m studying the video of the #Chibokgirls that was sent exclusively to me before their abductors upload on it YouTube later. @BBOG_Nigeria

— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) August 13, 2016

Many of the girls can be seen in the video, a Chibokgirl speaks in mother tongue and narrates how airstrikes has killed dozens of her mates.

— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) August 13, 2016

Horrifying images of some of the #Chibokgirls alleged to have been killed by airtrikes. I will end this commentary until video is uploaded.

— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) August 13, 2016

The demands of the captors remains the same, the only difference today is the sense of urgency to rescue these girls, they look…

— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) August 13, 2016

Dear oh dear. What sort of a human being will subject fellow human beings to this level of unimaginable suffering? ? ? ?

— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) August 13, 2016

The Defence Headquarters on Sunday said it had started examining the latest video from the Boko Haram group purporting to show some of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.

Some girls wearing headscarves, in the video, were seen behind a Boko Haram militant who demanded the release of fighters in return for freeing the girls.

The militant also claimed that some of the girls have been killed in airstrikes by the Nigerian military.

In response to the claim, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, said the military is examining the video clip to verify its authenticity.

Abubakar said: “Currently, we are studying the video clips to verify its authenticity and analysing the comments of the speakers in the video, especially the terrorist member and the girl that spoke in mother tongue.”

Abubakar disputed allegations in the video that some of the kidnapped girls were hit by an airstrike.

He said: “It is extremely difficult and rare to hit innocent people during airstrike because the operation is done through precision attack on identified and registered targets and locations. The Precision Airstrike is very effective at taking out targeted enemies because it is not a random operation. We are nevertheless studying the video clips to examine if the victims died from other causes rather from the allegation of airstrike.”

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, responding to the video, also said that the Federal Government is doing everything possible to secure the release of the Chibok girls and put an end to the terrible saga of their abduction.

This is contained in a statement by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi, on Sunday.

‘”We are on top of the situation. But we are being extremely careful because the situation has been compounded by the split in the leadership of Boko Haram. We are also being guided by the need to ensure the safety of the girls. Since this is not the first time we have been contacted over the issue, we want to be doubly sure that those we are in touch with are who they claim to be,” the minister said.

Mohammed expressed the hope that the latest development will signal the beginning of the end of the nightmare to which the girls, their families and indeed all Nigerians have been subjected since the unfortunate abduction.