Army, Police Trade Words Over Dapchi Girls Abduction

The Nigerian Army says the military handed over the security of Dapchi, headquarters of Busari local government, Yobe State to the Nigerian Police before the withdrawal of troops.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu made this known in a statement on Monday.

Nwachukwu said the military should not be blamed for the abduction of the schoolgirls as the troops handed over the area to the police.

The Army spokesman said the military “will not attempt to join in any blame game” with the Yobe State Government while it assured the parents of the girls that it was making efforts to ensure their safe return.

Recall that about 110 students of Government Girls’ Science Technical College in Dapchi, are reportedly missing after Boko Haram insurgents invaded the school premises last week.

The Yobe state government had blamed the withdrawal of troops for the attack on the school.

But reacting, Nwachukwu said: “Although this headquarters will not attempt to join in any blame game, it is to set the record straight. Several communities and local government areas that were hitherto under siege of the insurgents have been liberated and the insurgents pushed out. While troops continue to decimate the insurgents in the hinterlands, the security of the liberated communities and towns falls in the hands of the sister security agencies.

“Contrary to the comments being circulated, troops earlier deployed in Dapchi were redeployed to reinforce troops in Kanama area following attacks on troops’ location at the Nigerian-Niger Republic border. This was on the premise that Dapchi had been relatively calm and peaceful; and the security of Dapchi town was formally handed over to the police division located in the town. Troops’ redeployment was therefore done in tandem with the exigencies of operation and not as misconstrued.

“We will also like to assure the parents, government and the people of Yobe that we will not rest on our laurels in the search and rescue of the abducted schoolgirls and any other persons held captive by the terrorists.”

However, the Yobe state police command has dismissed the claim of the Army, saying Nwachukwu’s statement did not reflect the true situation.

“The statement by the Military of formal handing over of Dapchi town to the Nigeria Police Division in Dapchi is not correct and untrue, as there was no time that the military informed the police of their withdrawal, consult or handed over their locations in Dapchi town to the police,” Sumonu Abdulmaliki, commissioner of police in the state said

“The whole of Yobe state is still under security emergency which the police, the military and other security agencies are battling to ensure lasting peace. Members of the public in Yobe state are implored to disregard and discountenance this claim that the military formally handed the security of Dapchi town to the Nigeria Police as untrue, unfounded and misleading.

“The Yobe state police command will continue to cooperate with other security agencies in ensuring safety and protection of lives and property of the people of the state.”