By The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Kenneth Minimah, yesterday confirmed that the security agencies still do not know where the Chibok girls are being held more than one year after they were kidnapped.


Minimah, who made this known during a chat with journalists, said that the military would be able to ascertain where the abducted Chibok schoolgirl are being held hostage after troops capture Sambisa Forest.


He gave the assurance that in the next six months Nigerians would forget that there was a Boko Haram sect which once terrorised the country.


“By the time we capture Sambisa Forest completely, we will be able to find out where the Chibok girls are, because as it is now, anybody you ask says they did not see them, they are not there. When we capture Sambisa forest we will be able to know where they are and government will take it up from there.


“You know the Nigerian is one creature with large accommodation of mind, and whose memory shifts as soon and he soon forgets everything that happened. In the next six months I’m sure that Nigerians would have forgotten that Boko Haram once reigned and terrorized a region. I believe so,” he said.


The army chief, however, noted that although the insurgents would have been completely defeated, remnants of the sect would continue to engage in criminality.


“I will tell you, militarily, they were defeated but as armed groups, thieves, armed robbers, or people who go about to steal, burn markets and loot to go back to the forests, that will continue for a while, that the other programmes of government will take care of those ones. Bomb explosion also happens in civilized worlds where there are no terrorists,” he said.


Minimah also spoke on the recently concluded general elections, and scored the performance of the military personnel deployed for election duties 100 per cent. According to him, the presence of soldiers on the streets gave the voters confidence to come out and exercise their franchise.


“I think if you ask me to score myself, I will score myself 100 per cent, because for our state of political development we cannot expect to see our elections held as it is done in the most advanced nations.


“We are still bogged down by little prejudices of inter party issues where we can always have issues about thuggery, violence, ballot box snatching and confusion around the arena of polling units; it has to do with our level of political development.”


Minimah said these manifestations are expected to reduce gradually with more years of political experience.
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“For now, I don’t think we can say that will stop easily. The more the democratic process and electioneering process strengthens, develops, then people will learn over time that thuggery cannot change results, and if you hire a thug he will tell you why he would not be available, but for now there are several reasons why he would be available,” he said.


On how the security was able to help in achieving peaceful polls, he said: “We deployed in the possible flash points where violence always erupts, where people converge to hatch ideas other than positive feelings. Drawing from the 2011 post-election violence, we deployed in all those areas, and hooligans, vandals and thugs did not have freedom of action.”


Kidnapping Is Our Family Business, Says Nanny Kidnapper
The Lagos State police command has arrested the nanny who kidnapped three kids of same parents from Lawanson, in Surulere area of Lagos State for a period of eight days.


Mrs Funmilayo Adeyemi kidnapped the three kids identified as Adaramola, 11 months old, Adedamola, 4, and Demola, 6, penultimate Wednesday.


The victims’ parents, Leke and Adebisi Orekoya, said Adeyemi disappeared with the children barely 24 hours after she resumed duty at their flat on number 35, Lawanson Road, Surulere, Lagos.


Police commissioner, Mr Cornelius Aderanti, said the Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, led by the officer in charge, SP Abba Kyari, was able to smoke out Mrs Adeyemi from her hideout in Shasha after several days of surveillance. He said information communication technology was deployed to ensure that the suspects did not escape from Lagos.


The squad tracked the telephone conversations between the gang and the parents of the kids with which they trailed Adeyemi to Shasha.


LEADERSHIP Friday gathered that it was the police at Shasha who rescued the three children on Tuesday night after the gang abandoned them in a dilapidated house on Fatai Street, Egbeda.


The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kenneth Nwosu, who confirmed the arrest, said that the police command had been able to fulfil the promise it made to the parents that those behind the crime would soon be nabbed.


“I want to confirm to you that the nanny, who kidnapped the kids, has been arrested. She was arrested between 9pm and 10pm on Wednesday around Shasha area. We are making frantic efforts to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.


“The police team, acting on the directives of the Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, tracked the gang with bits of information made available to them. We encouraged the Orekoyas to maintain communication with the kidnappers. With the information gathered, the team was able to follow the link to where the nanny was arrested. We know that she did not carry out the crime in isolation – others are involved – and I promise you that in a short while, they will also be arrested,” he added.


Confessing to the act, Adeyemi said: “It was both my husband and brother in-law that pushed me into this. They got the nanny job for me and taught me what to do when I resumed. The first day I resumed, I waited for the parents to go out. My madam is a banker, so I took the kids. I put the smallest one at my back and I took them straight to our house.


“When I got home, my husband and his brother welcomed me and praised me for my action.


They put a telephone call to the parents and demanded N18million. I told them that amount was too much. The next day, they reduced it to N13million. My mother in-law who lives with us was not happy about the whole thing. I was really unhappy too when I realized that all the dailies had started carrying the news.


“I saw the mother of the children crying in the newspaper and I was not happy. Whatever I am facing now, I deserve it because my action was not only wicked, it was terrible. My husband and his brother have run away and left me in this situation. I deserve to face the law.”


Jonathan Urges World Leaders To Support Buhari’s Government
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday implored world leaders and international institutions to give their fullest possible support to the incoming administration of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari.


He also urged all Nigerians to do their utmost to help the incoming president to succeed in piloting the country’s affairs to greater heights.


Speaking at separate audiences with the new ambassadors of France, Senegal and Ethiopia, Jonathan appealed for patience, understanding and cooperation from all stakeholders in Nigeria, which, according to him, Buhari would require to move the country forward.


When the new ambassadors lauded him for his exemplary concession of victory in the presidential elections, the president said he acted out of his abiding conviction that the unity, well-being and progress of Nigeria must supersede all personal ambitions.


He said: “Democracy has to be nurtured to grow. Strong democratic institutions are the backbone and future of our democracy. They must be protected and nurtured. As for me, as a matter of principle, it is always the nation first.


“You need to have a nation before you can have an ambition. It should always be the nation first.


You don’t have to scuttle national progress for personal ambition.


“Since I assumed duty, I have been involved in quelling political crisis in some African countries and I know what they passed through and what some are still going through. If you scuttle a system for personal ambition, it becomes a collective tragedy.”


To the new French ambassador, Mr Denis Guaer, Jonathan urged France to extend the same support and assistance it gave to his administration to Buhari.


He said, “President Francois Hollande was our guest in Nigeria during the celebration of Nigeria’s centenary. He has been very supportive of the country in the fight against terrorism. I expect that the same warmth and goodwill will be extended to the incoming government. I expect that France will continue to work with the new administration, especially on issues of terrorism.


“The United Nations has been supportive as well. Our troops, supported by regional forces, have done very well in fighting the terrorists in recent times. What we need now is support to help our people get back their lives”.


On their part, the ambassadors commended President Jonathan for setting a record of humility, patriotism and courage in safeguarding the democratic process in Nigeria and Africa.


“Nigeria is not only an economic power in the world today, but also a great democratic example. And it is all by your effort, Mr President.


The last elections and your response was truly a great achievement and you will always be remembered for it,” the French ambassador told Jonathan.


Mr Guaer, the new ambassador of Senegal Mr Baboucar Sambe and the new Ambassador of Ethiopia Samia Zekaria Gutu were at the Presidential Villa to present their letters of credence to Jonathan.