According to Arise News, Chief Edwin Clark, the Ijaw National Leader and former Federal Commissioner for Information, has urged President Bola Tinubu to establish a Special Task Force dedicated to locating the Chibok Girls, Leah Sharibu, and other captives of Boko Haram in the Sambisa forest. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja marking the 10th anniversary of the Chibok Girls' abduction, Clark lamented the prolonged captivity of these victims and emphasized the need for urgent action.
During the conference, Clark recounted a past encounter with a Boko Haram member alongside then-activist Shehu Sani, before Sani's tenure in the Senate. This meeting aimed to address the atrocities committed by the terrorist group. Clark's remarks shed light on the persistent efforts to engage with the perpetrators and seek solutions to the ongoing crisis.
Clark also criticized the challenges faced by former President Goodluck Jonathan in securing the release of the Chibok Girls, attributing the setbacks to both internal sabotage and Boko Haram influence within the government. He highlighted a particular instance in 2009 when President Umaru Yar'Adua's planned trip to Brazil was disrupted due to the escalating Boko Haram activities in Borno State, underscoring the enduring security threats posed by the insurgency.
Clark said, “In 2009, President Umaru Yar’ Adua was to visit Brazil, but the upsurge of Boko Haram in Borno State affected his travel because they had to send security men to Maiduguri. There was no serious effort made but the little effort made by President Jonathan was thwarted and sabotaged by the state government in the North East.