Nigeria: Journalist wanted over Boko Haram video

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - The Nigerian army on Sunday declared a journalist and two others wanted for questioning.

The army said the three have information on the whereabouts of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted in 2014 saying they risk arrest if they fail to turn themselves in.

“There is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram terrorists and have contacts with them. They must therefore come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok Girls and other abducted persons to enable us rescue them,” said army spokesman Sani Usman.

In a statement issued just hours after Boko Haram released video footage purporting to show some of the Chibok girls, Usnan said journalist Ahmad Salkida, Aisha Wakil, a woman once known to have links with the insurgents, and one Ahmed Bolori had to come forward to provide information about recent developments within the group.

“Two recent incidents have pointed to the fact that there are three individuals […] that have information on the conditions and the exact location of these girls,” Usman said in the statement.

“Therefore, the Nigerian Army hereby declares the two gentlemen and the lady wanted for interrogation. We are relying on the relevant laws of the land and in particular the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 (as amended) where Nigerians could be punished for failure to disclose information about terrorists or terrorists activities,” he added.

Usman said the three have links with the last two videos released by the militants affiliated to Abubakar Shekau’s faction of the group.

There are two factions within Boko Haram -- one loyal to ultra-violent Abubakar Shekau and the other to Daesh-sanctioned leader Abu Musab al-Barnawy

Salkida, formerly a journalist with a local tabloid, is currently exiled in the United Arab Emirates. Hours before Boko Haram released the video Sunday morning purporting to show the abducted girls, Salkida said Saturday night he had seen the footage which he claimed was “exclusively” sent to him by the group.

Salkida has never denied having privileged information about or sources within the insurgent group for which he once acted as a media adviser in its formative years under the late leader Mohammed Yusuf. He however denied membership of the violent group.

According to local media, Aisha Wakil is a lawyer who participated in the 2013 amnesty talks between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram. Ahmed Bolori is said to be a “coordinator of the Fa’ah Foundation and the Partnership Against Violent Extremism”.