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ABUJA. — Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday cancelled a visit to the hometown of more than 200 school girls kidnapped by Islamic militants, provoking fresh criticism of his handling of the crisis. A senior government official told AFP that Jonathan’s trip to remote Chibok in Borno state “was on (the president’s) schedule up to this morning” but the visit had been scrapped.
No reason was given but security concerns were reportedly blamed.
Instead of visiting Chibok, Jonathan was now due to head direct to a security summit in Paris today to discuss the Boko Haram threat to regional stability.
The cancellation heaped further pressure on Jonathan after the United States on Thursday criticised Nigeria’s response to the crisis as “tragically and unacceptably slow”.
Officials said the safe return of the 223 girls still missing was now one of Washington’s top priorities, with specialist US teams, drones and surveillance aircraft involved in the rescue effort.
But French officials categorically ruled out Western military intervention, insisting that the solution should be found by Nigeria and its neighbours.
“Boko Haram represents a risk . . . for all countries in the region and all heads of state should be aware of that,” a French diplomatic source said, singling out Cameroon as a key player.
Boko Haram fighters have frequently launched attacks from Nigeria’s neighbour to the east, with whom they have had tense relations in the past over disputed territory.
As Jonathan headed to the French capital, critics rounded on him for showing a lack of empathy for the distraught families of the girls and also for implying the northeast was beyond his control.
“If, as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he is afraid to visit Chibok because of security fears, he is simply telling the hapless people in the northeast that he cannot protect them and they should resign themselves to their fate,” said Debo Adeniran, of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders pressure group. — AFP.
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