President Goodluck Jonathan has made it clear that one full year state of emergency is not enough to wipe out Boko Haram, even as he swore that the emergency rule in three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa has performed wonderfully.
The President, who answered questions at a nation-wide Presidential media chat on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and other stations today admitted however that Nigerians are agitating that the state of emergency is frustrating but that it is working.
The President disclosed that if it were not that the security agents have been up and doing, “people would have deserted Bauchi, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Kano and other towns.”
He said that consultations are ongoing to see if the state of emergency in the three states should be extended, even as he said that emergency had nothing to do with sacking the civilian elected government as many people understand.
President Jonathan said that in his attempt to enlist the support of international communities in the fight against Boko Haram, he has been speaking personally with President Barak Obama of America and others such as leaders of France, Cameroon, Chad and many others.
He said that as President, he feels pained whenever a life a lost through terrorist attacks, adding that he is even not happy losing any member of Boko Haram.
“I will do anything possible to bring terrorism and other form of criminal attacks on innocent citizens of this country to an end.
“We need superior intelligence to do so.”

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will only come up with its presidential candidate for the 2015 election after the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has named its own.
The President was answering questions at the live media chat on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) today.
He said that the reality on the ground now shows that it is PDP and APC that are the major parties that are likely to contest Presidential election in 2015.
“PDP is not in a hurry to name its presidential candidate when APC has not done so. Remember that PDP is still the champion.”

Nigeria’s first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has threatened to march in protest to Chibok in Borno State to seek for the release of no fewer than 200 female students abducted a fortnight ago by members of the deadly Boko Haram, making it clear that she is ready to lay down her life for such course of action.

“I do not mind being shot as long as they return our girls to us safely. We are tired of the kidnapping.”

She spoke when she held a crucial meeting with the wives of governors, ministers, female senators, commissioners and more than 200 women from various groups at the State House in Abuja aimed at seeking the actual whereabouts of the kidnapped girls.

She said that a committee will be inaugurated to include wives of all relevant stakeholders at a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, even as she made it clear that refusal by any of such relevant stakeholders to be contacted for the meeting would also lead to a mass protest.

“I cannot perpetuate hearsay and rumour; I must have facts to tell the international community. We will set up a committee to seek the truth as women. If any of those we call refuse to come, we will take the protest to Chibok.”

Dame Patience said that the first ladies of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and various other countries had called to ask questions and offer assistance on the matter, saying: “they intimated me of their readiness to help, they also asked me questions that I could not answer ‎and as women we are the last hope of this nation. We cannot fail our fellow women and the nation.

“‎If need be, we will call on the northern elders to help us so that our children and husbands will not die.” ‎

The ‎Head of WAEC, National Office, Mr. Charles Eguridu, at the meeting gave a clarification over the number of students enrolled for the examination in the school.

Eguridu said that those registered in the Government Girls School, Chibok include a total of 530 made up of 395 girls and 135 boys.

“The school had been reverted to a mixed school but the name remained Government Girls School. We were able to relocate 189 of the total number to write their exams at another village called Uba.”‎

Others who spoke at the meeting included Mrs Yemisi Suswan, Sen. Nenadi Usman and Prof. Sarah Jibril.

President Goodluck Jonathan will, tomorrow evening, affords Nigerians the opportunity of answering him some questions in  another edition of the Presidential Media Chat.
The media chat, according to a statement by his special adviser on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati in a statement, will be broadcast live on the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Voice of Nigeria (VON) at 7pm.
He said that during the programme, the President will respond to questions from a panel of journalists and media executives on current national issues and developments.
Members of the public who have particular issues they will like President Jonathan to address have been asked to send such questions via twitter to @mediachatng1.
The statement said that the President will choose to respond to the most significant questions received before or during the programme.
It advised other radio and television stations in the country to hook up to NTA and FRCN to relay the programme to their listeners and viewers.

Former Nigeria’s Vice president Atiku Abubakar has asked President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government to seek for  international support in its war against Boko Haram and other form of terrorism, even as the United States of America has offered to assist in retrieving abducted female students in Borno state from Boko Haram.
Reacting to the May 1st second bomb blast at Nyanya, the former Vice President said that time has come for Nigeria to solicited international support to tackle the seemingly intractable security challenges.
Atiku however commended the nation’s security forces for their sacrifices and patriotism in dealing with the threats of terrorist violence, advising that the most cogent way to confront the insurgents head-on now is for Nigeria to urgently seek international support and should do so urgently.
According to him, terrorism is relatively new to Nigeria and our security men and women are up against a deadly unconventional enemy that doesn’t bother about the rules of engagement.
Atiku said that Nigeria, like any other nation, should not be an island on itself in what he called an interconnected world today.
The global dimension of terrorism has made it imperative that developing country like Nigeria should not go it alone, adding: “we need to learn from the professional experiences and ideas of other countries confronted by terrorist threats.”
Atiku, who is a chieftain of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed his condolences to families of the dead even as he wished the injured ones speedy recovery.
The United States, in its request to help
Nigeria in its search for over 200 girls abducted by Boko Haram from a school in Borno state said: “We have been engaged with the Nigerian government in discussions on what we might do to help support their efforts to find and free these young women.”
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harftold added in her daily briefing: “We will continue to have those discussions and help in any way we can.
“The US and the international community must work with the Nigerian government to ensure these girls are reunited with their families and deepen efforts to combat the growing threat posed by Boko Haram,” said Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, the chairman of the Senate’s African Affairs subcommittee, and one of the resolution’s six sponsors.
In fiscal year 2012, the United States provided over $20 million in security assistance to
Nigeria, part of that to build the country’s military, boost its capacity to investigate terrorist attacks and enhance the government’s forensic capabilities, she said.

A Northern organization, Arewa Consultative Forum has implicated security agents of aiding and abbeting the deadly Boko Haram in the North East where it’s adherents are  tormenting the residents, even as it asks the federal government to investigate the activities of such security agents.
The Forum insisted that the activities of the insurgents are being boosted by cooperation and support from within the military and those in security circles insisting that government should carry out an in-house search of its security apparatus and put in place measures that will boost the morale of the troops deployed to fight the insurgents and instill confidence in the people.
In a communiqué at the end of its National Executive Council meeting today, signed by the Secretary General, Colonel John Paul Ubah, ACF asked the military to constantly update Nigerians on efforts to rescue the abducted female students of Government Girls Secondary schools, Chibok to reduce fear and concern of parents.
The communiqué reads in part:
“The forum expressed serious concern over the spate of killings of innocent people and wanton destruction of property by unknown gunmen and Boko Haram insurgents in most parts of the northern region. The forum therefore resolved to issue the following statement.
“The forum deliberated extensively on the current National security challenges and in particular, the abduction of over 200 female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state and other issues of National interest.
“Government should make concerted efforts to secure the release of the abducted female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state that were abducted by persons suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents since the 14th April, 2014.
“The military authorities should as a matter of urgent duty keep the nation abreast of efforts being made to rescue the kidnapped students in order to reduce the fears and concern of parents, relations and the entire citizenry.
“The security agencies should also open themselves to the intelligence being provided by the community on the alleged movement of the abducted students across our borders and seek support and cooperation of our neigbours to track down the abductors and their victims.
“It is strongly believed that without the support and cooperation from within the military and security circles, the insurgents would not have been succeeding so easily in their dastardly acts.
“ACF notes the concern of all Nigerians on this unfortunate incident of the abduction of Chibok female students and commends the various women organization that troop out in Maiduguri, Abuja and Kaduna and other places to express their anger and displeasure over the abduction of school girls.
“The ACF urges the Federal Government to do an in-house search of its security apparatus and put in place measure that will boost the morale of the troops and inspire confidence of the people in the government.”