Three on wanted list accuse military of mischief

• Salkida demands flight ticket to Nigeria
• Umar stopped from entering Abuja military headquarter

The three persons declared wanted in connection with the kidnapped Chibok girls have accused the military of mischief .

The suspects variously said the military was being mischievous and insincere, since the security agencies, with which they had maintained constant communication to end terrorism in the country, knew their exact locations.

One of the “wanted persons”, Ahmed Bolori was said to have arrived in Abuja from Maiduguri and was directed to see the Army Provost Marshal, but was subsequently advised to hold on for undisclosed reasons.

The army is yet to come out with a definite statement regarding the responses already being circulated in the social media as at last night.

A source told The Guardian that the “wanted person is very familiar with the army hierarchy. He is not someone that would easily be intimidated or ridiculed. I can tell you that he came to Abuja today (Monday), but was advised by some highly placed persons not to show up at the army headquarters just yet — just to save somebody the embarrassment.”

Columnist and Associate Professor of Journalism, Farooq Kperogi, had yesterday morning revealed on his Facebook account that Bolori, on hearing that he was declared wanted by the army, contacted some senior officers, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, and the spokesman of the Army Col. Sani Usman, saying “he was at their beck and call and didn’t need to be declared wanted since he wasn’t in hiding.”

Kperogi said the “wanted” person showed up at the military barracks in Maiduguri, waited for some time but was told he should leave and return the following day, as there was no one to arrest or interrogate him as expected. There were also tweets showing a screen shot of the “wanted” person’s conversation with the Director of Military Intelligence, Major General Abubakar, who informed him that he should report to the Provost Marshal of the Army.

Also Ahmed Salkida, a journalist responded through PRNigeria, saying he was not hiding and definitely would answer to the “call”, but “the army is aware that I am not in Nigeria presently. In the coming days, I will seek to get a flight to Abuja and avail myself to the Army authorities. Indeed, my return will be hastened if the military sends me a ticket.”

Equally, Aisha Wakil, while acknowledging that she knew the Boko Haram “boys” as she had been fighting for peace even before the Chibok girls were abducted, said “I want to inform the Nigerian people of my innocence and make them realise that I am in constant relation with the security personnel and they know where to find me. But I wonder why I had to be declared wanted on national news, even mentioning my husband’s name alongside.”