Search for Chibok girls : Borno hunters return home

Borno hunters

Borno hunters who earlier declared their readiness to storm the Sambisa Forest in search of abducted Chibok schoolgirls have left their camp in Maiduguri, the state capital following alleged refusal by the Federal Government to give them the nod to proceed on the rescue mission.

Sunday Sun learnt that the hunters, who came from the 27 local government areas in Borno State, had gathered in Maiduguri for about 17 days, waiting for approval from the authority to embark on the rescueoperation. Sources said the hunters told the Borno State Government they would want government’s commitment before storming the Boko Haram hideouts, but could not get “concrete answer from the state Governor, Kashim Shettima.

“They have approached the Borno government but there is no concrete answer from them. They were ready to go into the bush. They don’t have anything but God and powers  belong to God. They rely on this power to get things done but the authority aren’t showing interest and the hunters left. They have been inthe Hajj Camp for 17 days now and they resolved two days ago to return to their local communities. Some of them left yesterday (Thursday) while others left early today (Friday),” a source close to the hunters who did not want his name in print told Sunday Sun.

Some junior workers at the Hajj Camp also confirmed the hunters left in frustration, adding that they had been in the camp for 17 days.

But a senior government official in Borno absolved the governor of blame, saying the state was under an extended state of emergency with the Federal Government controlling security issue under the emergency. “We are in a state of emergency and under such situation, what the hunters are asking for is exclusively under the jurisdiction of the President. Much as we want our girls back, the state governor does not have the power to grant the request of the hunters to go to Sambisa.