Boko Haram: 30 policemen still missing, says IG

The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, on Tuesday said about 30 policemen were still missing following the recent attack carried out by Boko Haram sect on the Nigeria Police Mobile Force, Gwoza Training Camp, Borno State. Abba spoke with State House correspondents shortly after a meeting President Goodluck Jonathan had with security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. It will be recalled that Abba had, in September, told journalists that 20 policemen were still missing after the attack. He, however, said on Tuesday that one of the missing policemen had since been discovered to have reported back at his base. He said, “Even last week, we were able to identify that one of the missing officers in Gwoza had gone back to his base. So there can still be some that are in their homes, perhaps refusing anyone to report that they are around because of the trauma they went through or they could still be among families in some of the villages there. “It still remains our hope that they are alive and that they will come back alive. We are still talking about 30 missing officers.” Abba, however, declined comments on the fate of the Chibok girls. Abba said the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, was in the best position to speak to the press on the matter. The CDS had earlier declined comment, saying the Nigerian media had been leaving issues to discuss personalities. Also, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Muhammed Adoke (SAN), said the Federal Government’s negotiation with the Boko Haram sect which led to a ceasefire agreement was still ongoing. He disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting. Adoke said the meeting was properly briefed on the latest development as far as the agreement was concerned. “The negotiation is still ongoing. The council was briefed about it,” he said. When asked to speak specifically on the fate of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted at the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, the minister said the government was “keeping its fingers crossed.” “We are keeping our fingers crossed,” he said. Other ministers who attended the meeting included Aliyu Gusau (Defence); Aminu Wali (Foreign Affairs) and Abba Moro (Interior). Vice President Namadi Sambo was also in attendance. The heads of security agencies who attended included Badeh; and the heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security.