Chibok Schoolgirls: U.S. starts surveillance flights over Northern Nigeria
The manned flights are with the permission of the Nigerian government.
The United States has started surveillance flights over Northern Nigeria as part of its efforts to free the Chibok school girls.
The manned flights are with the permission of the Nigerian government.
The U.S. also clarified that it has 30
officials currently in Nigeria helping with the rescue efforts,
Al-Jazeera reports. The officials include five State Department
officials, two strategic communications experts, a civilian security
expert and a regional medical support officer, the White House said. The
officials also include 10 Defense Department planners already in
Nigeria, seven extra military advisors from U.S. Africa Command,
AFRICOM, and four FBI officials expert in hostage negotiations.
U.S. officials also said they believe the
video released by the Boko Haram on Monday showing the abducted
schoolgirls is authentic.
“Our intelligence experts are combing through
every detail of the video for clues that might help ongoing efforts to
secure the release of the girls,” Al-Jazeera quotes State Department
spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, as saying.
“We have no reason to question its authenticity.”
The Boko Haram has killed thousands of people
since an insurgency that began in 2009. Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, the
major areas of action of the Boko Haram, have been under emergency rule
since May last year.
In Monday’s video, the Boko Haram leader,
Abubakar Shekau, said he would only release the girls if the federal
government releases Boko Haram prisoners across the country.
Hundreds of Boko Haram prisoners have been
arrested with some being prosecuted for terrorism related activities.
Some, like Kabiru Sokoto, a Boko Haram cell leader, have been convicted
of terrorism.
The Nigerian government has said it is still
studying the video even as civil society groups disagree on whether the
government should negotiate with the Boko Haram or not
Chibok Schoolgirls: U.S. starts surveillance flights over Northern Nigeria
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