TheCable

The United Nations special envoy for global education and former prime minister of United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, wants the UK government to send troops, security services and air cover to Borno State, to aid the release of the schoolgirls abducted in Chibok 10 weeks ago.

Speaking on Wednesday during a debate at the British House of Commons, Brown observed that the girls might have been split into groups and hidden in separate places, meaning a military raid on the camp of a group of girls would at once endanger the lives of the girls in the other groups.

He therefore urged his country to assist Nigeria with military reinforcement.

“These wholly-innocent young girls — Lugwa Abuga, Rhoda John, Comfort Amos, Maryamu Yakubu and 200 others — are now incarcerated in the forest areas of Borno State,” he said.

“Some have perhaps been dispersed across three other countries: Niger, Cameroon and Chad. Their physical and mental health is a worry for everyone. If the girls have been dispersed to a number of different places, a rescue mission for one group would immediately put the other groups at risk.

“That is the dilemma that confronts the Nigerian Government, as I understand it. That is why they need additional support to monitor what is happening and, if it is necessary to intervene, [we should send] the troops, security services and the air cover to do so.”

Brown’s position contrasts that of the United States, which recently cut back on its operations in the rescue efforts, citing lack of new information about the location of the girls.