Former President Goodluck Jonathan said he wrote a letters to former United State President, Barack Obama, former British Prime Minister, Davide Cameron and French President, François Hollande, asking them for help in rescuing the Chibok Girls.
Jonathan stated this in a statement signed by his former aid on new media Reno Omokri in his response recently published by media outfit in the United Kingdom. The former Nigeria leader said he also personally authorized British Special Forces from the British Military Special Boat Service, to attempt a rescue mission of a Briton and an Italian, Chris McManus and Franco Lamolinara kidnapped by Boko Haram affiliate in Kebbi State.
“My attention has been drawn to a report in the Guardian of the U.K. alleging that the former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan rebuffed efforts by the British military to rescue the kidnapped Chibok Girls sometime in 2014.
“Nothing could be further from the truth and to prove that this story from the Guardian is untrue, the international community will recall that when a Boko Haram affiliate kidnapped a Briton and an Italian, Chris McManus and Franco Lamolinara, from Birnin Kebbi in Kebbi state of Nigeria, then President Jonathan personally authorized British Special Forces from the British Military Special Boat Service, to attempt a rescue mission in Sokoto state on the 8th of March, 2012 a full two years before the Chibok Girls Saga.
“The British Military sent boots to the ground and these troops were given full and unhindered cooperation by both the then Nigerian government and the Nigerian military. The international community is reminded that it is public knowledge that then President Goodluck Jonathan wrote letters to the trio of then US President, Barack Obama, then British Prime Minister, David Cameron and French President, François Hollande, asking them for precisely what The Guardian says he refused, help in rescuing the Chibok Girls” Jonathan said.
The former added that this shows that he had set a precedence of allowing British Military Forces operate in Nigeria to rescue hostages. “This proves that not only is the story untrue, but it was not well researched. Why would then President Jonathan approve that operation and rebuff the other? The story from The Guardian is built on a foundation of lies” he said.
He reminded the international community that he personally approved for these foreign governments to fly over Nigerian airspace in order to identify the location of the Chibok Girls. “Not only did i welcome foreign intervention, he was also the prime mover in the Multi National Joint Task Force involving Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria and authorized the military forces of those nations to fight Boko Haram on Nigeria soil. If President authorized the military forces of these nations to operate against terrorists in Nigeria, why would he refuse similar assistance from Nigeria’s international partners” Jonathan added
He reminded the current minister of information Lai Mohammed, how he cautions him against frustrating efforts by the then government to rescue the girls.
