Air Force deploys 100 jets in search of 110 schoolgirls

The Air Force has deployed 100 fighter jets in the search for the 110 schoolgirls abducted on February 19, the Federal Government said yesterday.

The students of the Government Girls Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State were abducted from their hostels by terrorists.

Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar relocated yesterday to Yobe State “to personally superintend the search for the girls”, the minister said.He also released the details of the missing girls. Eight are in JSS1, 17 in JSS2, 12 in JSS3, 40 in SS1, 19 in SS2 and 14 in SS3. The girls’ ages range from 11 to 19 years.

“The list, which also contains the contact address and phone number of each missing girl, was verified by a 26-member Screening Committee that include the Executive Secretary, State Teaching Service Board, Musa Abdulsalam; Director, Schools’ Management, Ministry of Education, Shuaibu Bulama; Principal of GGSTC, Adama Abdulkarim; the two Vice Principals, Ali Musa Mabu and Abdullahi Sule Lampo; Admission Officer Bashir Ali Yerima, and the Form Masters for all the classes,” Mohammed said.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Babagana Monguno, who constituted a 12-member committee “to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction”, gave the committee March 15 deadline to submit a report,The Nation re’ports.

Gen. Munguno, who visited Governor Ibrahim Gaidam in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, yesterday announced that 80 other planes would join the search for the girls.

He told the governor:

“The Nigerian Air Force has deployed 20 aircraft in Maiduguri and 80 others on their way. So far, 200 hours have been utilised in flying sorties looking for these girls.

“We have also been made aware of the fact that the Nigerian Air Force will step up its operation regardless of the very hard and severe weather condition.”

Giving further details of the security measures in place as well as efforts to get the girls back, Munguno said: “Back in Abuja, we have set up our own machinery in dealing with this situation. All the security agencies have been working together. The situation room has been expanded – the one in the office of the National Security Adviser that is linked directly to all other security agencies but most importantly to the theatre command over here.

“I have made efforts with my counterparts across the region to try and work and share intelligence together and see how quickly we can bring to an end this very unfortunate situation. But, apart from that, we are also looking at other measures in dealing with past occurrences and how to forestall any future occurrence. “

Air Marshal Abubakar and some other military chiefs were with Munguno at the meeting with the governor, who praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts so far and for sending the third high-level delegation to the state within one week of the girls’ abduction.