The Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG, campaign group has called for verification of the military’s claims of victory over Boko Haram insurgents in the North east.

Speaking on the renewed efforts to rid the nation of the insurgency that until recent times had paralysed the North east, the group urged the military to designate independent journalists as part of its contingents within the Multi-national Joint Task Force, to ensure third party independently verified accounts of the war against insurgency and terrorism.

This call formed part of the group’s second week brief on the monitoring initiative, which they said was set to help entrench accountability and improved performance in the on-going counter insurgency operations.

Stating that BBOG fully supports the on-going offensive which is expected to quell insurgency in Nigeria, the group, however, requested that the military should publish the list of towns and communities still under the control of the Boko Haram insurgents, to enhance the people’s appreciation of the reclamation victories made by the soldiers.

The group which had earlier expressed hopes that the heightened counter-terrorism offensive by the military against the terrorist group in Nigeria’s north-east, would lead to the rescue of the over 200 schoolgirls kidnapped last year in Chibok in Borno State, recalled that the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh had announced that the whereabouts of the girls was known shortly after they were abducted.

Since the postponement of the general election in February due to security concerns, the military has stepped up the fight against insurgents, in the process claiming back many of the territory previously taken over by the terrorirsts.

The director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, a Major Genera;l, said in a statement released last Thursday that the Nigerian military backed by air strikes had recaptured the town of Baga in Borno State, north-east Nigeria from the Islamist group Boko Haram.

He said further that “similar exercise is being carried out in over 15 locations namely Gajigana, Ngaze, Ngenzai, Marte Junction, Mile 90, Yoyo, Kekeno, Kukawa, Cross Kauwa, Kangarwa, Amirari, Kichimatari, Borokari Barati, Kauwa and other localities where troops have flushed out the terrorists in the operations preceding the entry to Baga.