The report published by British newspaper, the Observer stated that the British Royal Air Force (RAF) in an operation code named, Operation Turus, spotted the girls during air reconnaissance over northern Nigeria weeks after they were kidnapped, but the Jonathan administration turned down an offer to rescue them.
“The girls were located in the first few weeks of the RAF mission. We offered to rescue them, but the Nigerian government declined,” a source involved in the operation told the Observer.
However, Jonathan in a rebuttal issued by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, said the report was completely false.
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He said, “We can confidently say the lies in this report are self evident. This is because the international press as well as the Nigeria media actively covered the multinational efforts and collaboration which involved some of the major powers deploying their crack intelligence officers to work with our own security operatives, and those of our neighbours.
“We would wish to recall that this collaboration was made possible following letters personally written by former President Jonathan President Barack Obama of the United States, President Francois Hollande of France, Mr. David Cameron, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as well as personal contacts made to the Government of Israel and China, seeking their assistance in the search for the abducted Chibok girls,” the statement explained.