Nigerian security forces were warned about the presence of Boko Haram fighters near the town of Dapchi, but failed to respond, allowing insurgents to kidnap 110 schoolgirls almost unharrassed, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
The kidnapping on Feb. 19 of the girls from Dapchi, aged between 11-19, had echoes of the Islamist insurgency’s abduction in 2014 of 276 students from the town of Chibok, which shot Nigeria’s conflict with Boko Haram, now nine years old, into the global spotlight.
It threatens to be a thorn in the side of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose 2015 electoral victory was built on criticism of his predecessor’s failure to protect Nigerians, particularly in the wake of Chibok, and his promises to defeat Boko Haram.
“The Nigerian authorities have failed in their duty to protect civilians, just as they did in Chibok four years ago,” said Osai Ojigho, Amnesty’s Nigeria director, in Tuesday’s report.
“Despite being repeatedly told that Boko Haram fighters were heading to Dapchi, it appears that the police and military did nothing to avert the abduction,” she said.
A military spokesman denied that they had been warned of Boko Haram presence in the region, saying: “There was nothing like that.”
He said if Amnesty had important information, the watchdog should notify a presidential panel set up in the wake of Dapchi to investigate the incident.
READ: Militants tell Buhari to reinstate Paul Boroh as Amnesty chief to avoid fresh attacks
Amnesty alleged that the Nigerian army and police received at least five phone calls warning that Boko Haram was on the way to Dapchi as early as four hours before the attack, but did not take “effective measures” to halt the militants or rescue the girls once they had been taken.
“The military withdrew troops from the area in January, meaning the closest personnel were based one hour’s drive from Dapchi,” the report said.
One month after the abductions, there has been little sign of the fate of the 110 schoolgirls.
Neither their parents nor Nigerian authorities have publicly acknowledged receiving any proof of life, the students have not appeared in any media issued by the kidnappers, nor has there been a public ransom demand.
“The Nigerian authorities must investigate the inexcusable security lapses that allowed this abduction to take place without any tangible attempt to prevent it,” said Ojigho in the report.
Nigeria’s Buhari said last week he had ordered all military and security agencies to search for them, vowing that the government would not rest until the last girl kidnapped by insurgents has been released.
Buhari has also said he plans to negotiate for their release – a sign that the military may not be able to successfully rescue them.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
