Defence HQ, Army Clueless Over Ansaru 7

Joint Task Force, the lead security agency in Boko Haram troubled states of Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Kano and Adamawa, code-named Operation Restore Order, and the Defence Headquarters, yesterday, expressed helplessness on the whereabouts of the abducted seven foreign hostages, who were said to have been killed by their abductors.

According to Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru, spokesman of the task force, the Army cannot comment on the whereabouts of the hostages, noting that the Defence Headquarters, which was the agency coordinating JTF operations bothering on internal security, should be the one to explain the true situation about the seven hostages.

“I have nothing to say about it. But I know the Defence Headquarters has said something about it,” General Attahiru said while briefing the media on activities of the Nigerian Army in the last one month.

The Director of Defence Information, Colonel Mohammed Yerima, also said he had no comment to make on the issue when contacted, as he pointed out that the military authorities were not in the picture of the whereabouts of the foreign hostages.

Intense security searches, it was gathered are being conducted by all security agencies, including the military, Police, SSS, and Para-military organisations.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has condemned reports on You-Tube over the alleged killing of the seven foreign hostages kidnapped by the Ansaru group.

“I don’t go by report on You-tube but by reality and concrete evidence,” the minister told African Heads of Diplomatic Mission in Abuja, yesterday.

The Ansaru group had on Saturday announced the death of all the expatriates abducted from a construction site of Lebanese company, Setraco, on February 16 in Bauchi.

“Before you announce that hostages are either dead or alive, you must have evidence.

“I believe our security agencies are working around the clock to ensure that we either find the bodies or we release them alive,” Ashiru said.

“So for now, there is no conclusive evidence as to the status of the hostages.”

“The whole world will be informed. So it is better we wait until everything is confirmed.”