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ABUJA. — Controversy surrounding the assistance which Australia purported to offer towards the rescue of the abducted Chibok girls degenerated on Friday as Nigeria insisted it had no record of such offer.
Nigeria’s latest denial was in response to Australia’s insistence, on Thursday, that it conveyed its willingness, on several occasions, to Nigeria to deploy its special forces to assist in the rescue of the girls.
The Australian government, which spoke through its embassy in Nigeria, stated that it made the offers through the “normal diplomatic channels.”
The Research and Public Affairs Officer of the embassy, Okokon Odiongenyi, in an emailed response to inquiries about the offer, on Thursday, stated that the Federal Government failed to take up the offer to date.
“Australia has offered to provide whatever support the Nigerian government believes might be useful in its efforts to secure the release of the girls. This advice was conveyed through diplomatic channels.
“The Nigerian government has not sought to take up this offer at this stage.
“We are also discussing further co-operation in the area of combating terrorism,” the mail read.
Odiongenyi said the Australian government was desirous of assisting Nigeria to rescue the over 200 abducted schoolgirls, hence its offer of help to the federal government.
Asked to mention the specific Nigerian official through whom the offer was made, Odiongenyi said he could not be specific.
He said, “We made the offer to rescue the girls, not once, not twice but several times through the normal diplomatic channels.
“I can’t disclose the official to whom the message was given, I can’t be more specific than that, but I assure you that we made the offer to the Nigerian government.”
But the Director, Public Relations, Ministry of Information said the ministry had no record of the offer from the Australian government.
“We don’t have a record of the offer from the Australian government, ask them to provide documentary proof if they insist that they made such an offer,” he stated.
The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency also insisted that the Australian government had not made any offer to rescue the Chibok schoolgirls. — The Punch.
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