British armed forces offered to attempt to rescue nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, but were rebuffed by Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s president at the time, the Observer has learned.

In a mission named Operation Turus, the RAF conducted air reconnaissance over northern Nigeria for several months, following the kidnapping of 276 girls from the town of Chibok in April 2014. “The girls were located in the first few weeks of the RAF mission,” a source involved in Operation Turus told the Observer. “We offered to rescue them, but the Nigerian government declined.”


The girls were then tracked by the aircraft as they were dispersed into progressively smaller groups over the following months, the source added.

Chibok is located in Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno state. Today 195 of the girls are still missing. Those who have managed to escape from their kidnappers have told of a life of torture, enslavement, rape, and forced marriages in captivity.

Notes from meetings between UK and Nigerian officials, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, also suggest that Nigeria shunned international offers to rescue the girls. While Nigeria welcomed an aid package and assistance from the US, the UK and France in looking for the girls, it viewed any action to be taken against kidnapping as a “national issue”.

“Nigeria’s intelligence and military services must solve the ultimate problem,” said Jonathan in a meeting with the UK’s then Africa minister, Mark Simmonds, on 15 May 2014.


A document summarising a meeting in Abuja in September 2014 between Nigeria’s national security adviser and James Duddridge MP, former under-secretary of state at the Foreign Office, shows Operation Turus had advanced to the point where rescue options were being discussed. Minutes from a meeting the following month between Major-General James Chiswell and Jonathan hinted at the frustration felt by those trying to prompt some action from Nigeria.

“[President] Jonathan was still focused on ‘platforms’. General Chiswell said again we could offer advice on what equipment might make sense and how weapon systems might be best deployed,” the October 2014 document stated.

The Nigerian government did not respond to a request for comment. The Foreign Office said: “We wouldn’t comment on specific operational details, which are a matter for the Nigerian government and military.”

Jonathan has drawn criticism at home and abroad for a lack of action and perceived apathy over the kidnappings. The government was slow to mount any response in the weeks after the girls were taken. The governor of Borno, Kashim Shettima, also publicly criticised Jonathan for failing to even call him or any other state official for 19 days after the kidnappings. Jonathan also hit out at the worldwide #BringBackOurGirls campaign, branding it a “manipulation” of the victims of the attack.

Boko Haram had raided the dormitories of the government secondary school at Chibok. The girls staying there had braved warnings of an attack to sit their final examinations. Boko Haram looted the school and then burned it to the ground. The kidnappings also blighted the lives of the girls from the town who were not taken away, as many have been too scared to continue their education.

In addition to Nigeria, Boko Haram is active in regions of Cameroon, Chad and Niger. According to Unicef, more than 1.3 million children have now been displaced. Some of those taken by Boko Haram have been forced to become child soldiers: one in five suicide bombers in Nigeria are believed to be children, and three-quarters of those are girls.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/04/nigeria-declined-uk-offer-to-rescue-chibok-girls

We all know it was El Rufai et al that were very vocal about refusing foreign boots on Northern soil and ofcourse the weak Jonathan listened to them

Here we are today still struggling to win the war against insurgency.

I still maintain no chibok girl was kidnapped.

Dude was high at the time of request

SalamRushdie:
We all know it was El Rufai et al that were very vocal about refusing foreign boots on Northern soil and ofcourse the weak Jonathan listened to them

But they brought in machineries from S.A

xlander:


But they brought in machineries from S.A

In the last days when it had become clear that some components of the Nigerian military intentionally didn't want to engage the enemy so just 100 South African mercenaries were brought in and they delivered devasting damage to Boko Haram in 9 weeks which saw the group retreat time Jonathan lost the election and somehow the same components of the Nigerian Army suddenly started fighting well again ..

May we never be rule like the ilks of Jonathan again.

SalamRushdie:
We all know it was El Rufai et al that were very vocal about refusing foreign boots on Northern soil and ofcourse the weak Jonathan listened to them

Nothing more to add.... .

Good or bad, weakness is not an endearing leadership quality!!!!! It's pure bitchassness!! Period.


P.S ... Hopefully , the irridentists wailing army fathered by a thousand he goats that convulse in my mention will see this & stop bleating needlessly in my direction... Not only will i remain unmoved & continue to sort their ish with the R button, if presented with another choice of going against a clueless ineffectual buffoon, It's still gonna be clinical.... Take out all dead woods!!

Jonathan was a fool cheered by fools .... he simply didn't care. To him it was just a ruse even his mentally damaged supporters still believe the girls were not missing. An indication of the ineffectual buffonery that he passed unto his followers.

I thought by now, Buhari would have gotten d job done or better still in sambisa forest , leading d troops in search of d remaining girls like he promised

Children of 8 will avoid dis thread like a plague, come to think of it, till date some baggers still believe the Kidnapping never occurred...

Universal truth is not measured in mass appeal. With the benefit of hindsight, we can begin to examine this case more objectively.

The Governor of Borno state-Shettima, ignored security reports and counsels from the Federal Govt and WAEC about possible security threat and why the exam should not hold particularly in Chibok. WAEC have shown the correspondences to this fact. But this man as the Chief Security Officer ignored these warnings and promised security for the girls. He betrayed the girls by failing to heed warnings and by allowing the exam proceed without security. He was a serving Governor and couldn't be prosecuted. https://www.thecable.ng/shettima-set-chibok-girls-says-fani-kayode

Now, this same man rather than communicate with the higher ups about the kidnap decided to keep quiet. His reasoning? He believed the President would have been briefed. By whom? By security agencies OUTSIDE his state. Or perhaps he was waiting for the President to call him first. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/201163-i-not-call-jonathan-chibok-girls-abducted-boko-haram-borno-governor-shettima.html

Based on this lethargy from the CSO of the state, it would be rational to assume probable cause for the President to proceed cautiously. It is pertinent to point out that coincidentally, the Governor was from the opposition party.

The agreement signed with the US, UK and France was for them to provide additional intelligence services and platform and the Nigerian security services will handle the intrusion. But these countries, particularly the UK didn't want that. They cited Nigerian military human rights record and wouldn't even provide the required platform. According to a former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock disclosed that both the British and United States governments knew where some of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram members were but refused to help or share that information. http://dailypost.ng/2016/03/21/uk-us-governments-knew-location-of-chibok-girls-but-refused-to-rescue-them-ex-british-high-commissioner/

As much as this was an emotional issue, it was also one of national importance. It's hard trusting your partners if they won't keep their end of a treaty, won't provide platform and additional intelligence service and glaring refusal to rescue when they had the chance.

CROWNWEALTH019:

if i catch you, i doubt if you an last 5 minutes

Crownwealth sounds like Adeola which is a yoruba name.... Don't worry I have an idea of who you are... your main moniker that is.

Catch me? Can burning fire be held?

thesicilian:
I still maintain no chibok girl was kidnapped.

I second that too cos if there was they wouldn't reject helps from other countries..

Isnt this insulting?
So if naija cant rescue chibok girls, is it external invasion that they can fight?

boostdom:
Universal truth is not measured in mass appeal. With the benefit of hindsight, we can begin to examine this case more objectively.

The Governor of Borno state-Shettima, ignored security reports and counsels from the Federal Govt and WAEC about possible security threat and why the exam should not hold particularly in Chibok. WAEC have showed the correspondences to this fact. But this man as the Chief Security Officer ignored these warnings and promised security for the girls. He betrayed the girls by failing to heed warnings and by allowing the exam proceed without security. He was a serving Governor and couldn't be prosecuted. https://www.thecable.ng/shettima-set-chibok-girls-says-fani-kayode

Now, this same man rather than communicate with the higher ups about the kidnap decided to keep quiet. His reasoning? He believed the President would have been briefed. By whom? By security agencies OUTSIDE his state. Or perhaps he was waiting for the President to call him first. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/201163-i-not-call-jonathan-chibok-girls-abducted-boko-haram-borno-governor-shettima.html

Based on this lethargy from the CSO of the state, it would be rational to assume probable cause for the President to proceed cautiously. It is pertinent to point out that coincidentally, the Governor was from the opposition party.

The agreement signed with the US, UK and France was for them to provide additional intelligence services and platform and the Nigerian security services will handle the intrusion. But these countries, particularly the UK didn't want that. They cited Nigerian military human rights record and wouldn't even provide the required platform. According to a former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock disclosed that both the British and United States governments knew where some of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram members were but refused to help or share that information. http://dailypost.ng/2016/03/21/uk-us-governments-knew-location-of-chibok-girls-but-refused-to-rescue-them-ex-british-high-commissioner/

As much as this was an emotional issue, it was also one of national importance. It's hard trusting your partners if they won't keep their end of a treaty, won't provide platform and additional intelligence service and glaring refusal to rescue when they had the chance.

A reasoned, intelligent response.

You know the reason why nothing good works in Nigeria?
Nigerians are the most hypocritical bunch of humans that ever walked the earth! And God keeps punishing them for that despite all their daily half-hearted prayers.
Same people that will condemn any foreign media that criticizes PMB will applaud them when the criticize GEJ.
We speak from both sides of our mouth without compunction but will be quick to condemn Lai Mohammed for doing exactly what we all do.
We pretend not to have been born when Northern leaders and elders threatened the govt of GEJ not to bring the military to the north east when the threat of BH was yet at its infancy.....which was when it could have been easily wiped out.
We saw the same northern elders call the ICC immediately ihejirika started defeating BH which led to him being reluctantly removed.
We saw the northern military deliberately leak sensitive war information to the BH which led to heavy casualties amongst the forces.
We saw the arrest of retired northern military men who were openly training the BH guys
We saw the arrest of BH commanders in the houses of some top northern politicians and we saw the attendant cohesive protection given them by their brothers.
We knew it was parts of these that made the international community not to sell arms to the previous govt which made them.to seek for weapons in the blackmarket ........here u use cash to pay. This explains the south African cash-in-the-jet saga.
I am not a fan of GEJ but am fed up with our constant lies and malicious deceptions.
Same northern military that deliberately leaked info to BH suddenly stopped doing so in PMB govt for reasons best known to them and we pretend not to see it?
We have even heard the revelations from some of the chibok girls who revealed that after their abduction, they were not taken to any forest but to the houses of rich and powerful Northerners where the remained for close to a year before being gradually taken to the forest .
I tire for the people of this country.

on this issue, Jonathan made a lot of mistakes. he must have learnt his lessons.

"I will lead from the front"

Who said this

Lol story . The British got involved and discovered it was a scam and backed out quietly.

I Hate Goodluck Jonathan.!
He is the reason why we are where we are today.
No matter what, I won't blame PMB for anything.

Read report ...you no go gree read...

Larryfest:

I second that too cos if there was they wouldn't reject helps from other countries..

We prefer our big brother Britain to assist us in the fight against Boko Haram but not to take over the fight.
By this I mean show us how to get the Chibok girls. ie complement our effort

Enough of all this blame game.. Let Jonathan rest in peace