President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said his physical presence in Chibok, Borno State, where over 200 schoolgirls were abducted on April 14, would not solve the problem.
He said since the abducted girls were not being held in the school, the major challenge before him and his government now was to locate and rescue them.
Jonathan spoke while answering a question during a press conference held to announce the conclusion of a regional summit on security in Nigeria held in Paris, France.
The President had not visited the community since the incident happened over a month ago.
Although, he was earlier scheduled to visit the school on Friday, the trip was called off in what many people believed could have been for security reasons.
Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, however said Jonathan was never scheduled to visit the town, describing the reports as malicious.
The President said during the press conference that he was not averse to visiting scenes of terror attacks as he had done so in the past.
He insisted that the Chibok case was different since there was nobody in the school.
“These girls are not held in Chibok. Sometimes, people want the President to go to Chibok. If the President goes to Chibok today, it will not solve any problem. The problem facing the President and indeed the Nigerian government is how to get these girls from wherever they are,” he said.
The President also noted that the unconventional war declared on Nigeria by the Boko Haram sect since 2009 had claimed over 12,000 lives with more than 8, 000 persons injured or maimed.
The figure, he said, was apart from the thousands of Nigerians that were displaced during the period.
He told participants at the summit that the clear objective of the sect was to destabilise and take over Nigeria in order to turn it into its operational base in West Africa and the entire continent.
While saying that global terrorist networks like Al Qaeda are deeply involved in the recent activities of Boko Haram, Jonathan made a case for the designation of the sect as a terrorist organisation on the basis of the proscription order that his government had already imposed on the organisation.
Meanwhile, the Paris summit took several decisions that would strengthen regional co-operation.
According to the communiqué issued at the end of the parley, Nigeria and its neighbours will build response and analysis capabilities to enhance security of all populations.
They they agreed on accelerating the implementation of international sanctions against Boko Haram, Ansaru, and their leaders with the United Nations framework.
All the participants also reaffirmed their commitment to human rights and protection of girls who are victims of violence.
Nigeria and its neighbours resolved to embark on coordinated patrols with the aim of combating Boko Haram and locating the Chibok girls.
Punch
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