Nigeria had ‘advance warning of kidnapping’

Nigeria’s military had four hours’ advanced warning of the April 14 attack by Boko Haram that led to the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls but failed to take immediate action, Amnesty International said.

“Damning testimonies gathered by Amnesty International reveal that Nigerian security forces failed to act on advance warnings about Boko Haram’s armed raid on the state-run boarding school in Chibok which led to the abduction,” the rights group said.

Amnesty said it had verified the information about the abduction with “credible sources”.

Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan has said he believes the schoolgirls are still in his country and have not been moved to neighbouring Cameroon.

As condemnation of the abductions spread, Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti, the top religious authority in the birthplace of Islam, said Boko Haram rebels who conducted the abductions had “set up to smear the image of Islam”.

Jonathan’s government has been criticized for its slow response to the hostage crisis, and yesterday is the first time he has said where he thinks the girls are being held.

“There are stories that they have moved them outside of the country. But if they move that number of girls to Cameroon, people will see, so I believe they are still in Nigeria,” Jonathan told journalists.

Amnesty confirmed that “Nigeria’s military headquarters in Maiduguri was aware of the impending attack soon after 7pm local time on 14 April, close to four hours before Boko Haram began their assault on the town,” the group said.

The military, however, could not assemble the troops needed to suppress the attack, “due to poor resources and a reported fear of engaging with the often better-equipped” Islamists.

The 17 army personnel based in Chibok were overpowered by the attackers and had to retreat.

“The fact that Nigerian security forces knew about Boko Haram’s impending raid, but failed to take the immediate action needed to stop it, will only amplify the national and international outcry at this horrific crime,” said Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s Africa director for research and advocacy.

British experts have arrived in the Nigerian capital to help in the search for the 276 girls being held by the Islamic militants as an international effort began taking hold.

The experts were expected to work closely with US officials and agents in the search for the missing girls. Meanwhile, Boko Haram militants continue to stage attacks.

China and France have also promised help. Britain said its aim was not only to help with the current crisis but to defeat Boko Haram.