Following the receipt of the new video message by the Islamist terror group, Boko Haram on Monday, the Federal Government has said that the video is still undergoing meticulous review.
Director -General of the National Orientation Agency, Mike Omeri made the disclosure at a briefing on the video in Abuja, where he ruled out the immediate possibility of negotiating with the sect as an option.
He discredited the information in some sections of the media that the Federal Government has entered talks with the terrorists.
Speaking alongside heads of various security agencies, Omeri revealed that government is mulling over several options to rescue the girls and return them to their families.
“All options are on the table and open, we are interacting with the military and intelligent experts who are already on surveillance in the North Eastern part of the country,” Omeri said.
“We will adopt all available options to get the girls out, but we will not negotiate with the sect. The United States and the United Kingdom have already sent in their security personnel but we will not hesitate to seek help from other countries if there is need for such.”
Omeri explained at the briefing that the operational measures being used by the government would not be revealed to the public so as to ensure that the enemies too do not get such information and eventually use it against the nation.
Also answering questions at the briefing, Spokesperson of the State Security Service, SSS, Marilyn Ogar, asserted to journalists that Shekau is dead, but the person presently claiming to be Shekau is merely an impostor.
”Boko Haram has become a franchise, anybody can assume and lay claim to any name what I know is that the original Abubakar Shekau is dead,” Ogar said.
“The person claiming to be the national leader now is not the original Abubakar Shekau. If security sources tell you that somebody is dead, you don’t have to come out and doubt that.”
