Nigeria’s military officer claims to know where Boko Haram keeps 200 girls

A top Nigerian military office claimed that they know where the Boko Haram militants keep more than 200 abducted girls. However he ruled out any military operation to rescue the girls.

The Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh on Monday told reporters in Abuja that the government knows the whereabouts of those abducted girls but will not use the force.

“The good news for the parents of the girls is that we know where they are, but we cannot tell you,” Badeh was quoted by news agency.

“But where they are held, can we go there with force? We can’t kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back,” he added.

It was almost seven weeks since Boko Haram, an Islamist militants group abducted over 200 girls students from a secondary school in the remote village of Chibok in Nigeria. Boko Haram demanded they will release the girls in exchange of Boko Haram prisoners. Senate President David Mark however ruled out any negotiation with Boko Haram.

“This government cannot negotiate with criminals and … will not exchange people for criminals. A criminal will be treated like a criminal,” he was quoted by local media as saying.

US drones have been searching northeast Nigeria and neighbouring regions. A European team consists of British, French and Israeli troops also have been trying to trace the girls and rescue them.

Facing the protest Nigeria’s government and military defended their slow response and promised to assist the rescue operations.

Addressing a protest Alex Badeh said, “Nobody should come and say the Nigerian military does not know what it’s doing. We know what we are doing. We can’t go and kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back.”

“So, we are working. The president (Goodluck Jonathan) is solidly behind us. The president has empowered us to do the work,” he told the crowd.

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