Jonathan Accepts U.S. Offer To Deploy ‘Personnel And Assets’ To Assist In Effort To Rescue Abducted Schoolgirls

Global efforts to assist Nigeria in rescuing over 200 school girls, who were abducted from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, received a major boost yesterday as the United States Government offered to deploy “personnel and assets” to join in search and rescue operations.

The offer was made on Tuesday by U.S Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry on behalf of President Barack Obama in a telephone conversation with Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan welcomed and accepted a “definite offer”, which includes the deployment of U.S. security personnel and assets to work with their Nigerian counterparts in the search and rescue efforts for the school girls, who have spent over 14 days in Boko Haram’s den.

The statement reads: “Mr. Kerry assured President Jonathan that the United States’ is wholly committed to giving Nigeria all required support and assistance to save the abducted girls and bring the reign of terror unleashed on parts of the country by Boko Haram to an end.

“Thanking Mr. Kerry for the call and offer of further assistance, President Jonathan told him that Nigeria’s security agencies who were already working at full capacity to find and rescue the abducted girls would appreciate the deployment of American counter-insurgency know-how and expertise in support of their efforts”.

Abati added that after speaking with Kerry, President Jonathan met with the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and heads of national security agencies in continuation of the national efforts to find and rescue the abducted girls.

“The President received updates on the ongoing search and rescue effort, and gave approval for recommended further actions”, Abati said.