At least 15 more Chibok girls than originally thought are alive, as Boko Haram has “confirmed” to Ahmad Salkida, a journalist who has vast knowledge of the insurgency, that the 15 are being held in cells manned a faction of the group.
This brings the total number of surviving Chibok girls to 30 — 15 more than the number originally reported by Salkida on Saturday, the fourth anniversary of the abduction.
Updating his former report, Salkida said that a Boko Haram leader confirmed his report that 15 of the girls were alive and married, but added that another set of 10 and five respectively, are also alive but are being held by factional cells.
“A leading member of the Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad or BH (Boko Haram) has now clarified the earlier information about 15 girls. Indeed, the 15 Chibok girls are available, but known to a particular cell that spoke to me emphatically days leading to the 4th anniversary,” he tweeted on Tuesday.
“However, two other cells within the larger group has brought additional information, clarifying the earlier information, that there is another 10 girls available to another cell. Outside of the 15 and 10, another 5 amongst the girls are also alive as at early hours of today.
“But the set of 5, according to the group today, have apparently become permanently embedded in the doctrines and teaching programs of the Sect and have asked not to be considered amongst those likely be included in any release in the future, if there would be any.
“In BH, you do not know what you don’t have access to because of the segmentation of authority. It’s part of the ethos of criminality to restrict access of lieutenants to critical information. You only know what obtains in the cell you control.”
5/ However, two other cells within the larger group has brought additional information, clarifying the earlier information, that there is another 10 girls available to another cell. Outside of the 15 and 10, another 5 amongst the girls are also alive as at early hours of today.
— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) April 17, 2018
Salkida reiterated that the terms for a possible release of the girls – “for those that want to be released” – will depend solely on their husbands’ willingness to let them go.
He also expressed disappointment that “the government in its might and given the machinery available to it, peremptorily declared to the public that it lacks institutional memory regarding the processes of the Chibok girls”.
9/ Back to the response of the presidency, it is most disappointing that the government in its might and given the machinery available to it, peremptorily declared to the public that it lacks institutional memory regarding the processes of the #Chibokgirls. pic.twitter.com/BbqoxvVWLK
— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) April 17, 2018
“Eighty-two girls were killed” amongst hundreds of other hostages that are unheard of, mainly in crossfires and bombardments; “some died long ago, some more recently”; a few are single or ‘widowed’ and it’s unbearable to publish their names here. This is the story of the Chibok girls,” Salkida concluded.