This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nigerian-schoolgirls-kidnapped-military-had-advance-warning-but-failed-to-act-9345647.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped: Military 'had advance warning' but failed to act, Amnesty International claims Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped: Military 'had advance warning' but failed to act, Amnesty International claims
(about 5 hours later)
Nigerian security forces were warned hours before the raid that led to the kidnapping of more than 240 school girls that an attack was about to be launched, Amnesty International has said. Nigeria’s military was warned of an Islamist attack on the town where more than 270 schoolgirls were kidnapped but failed to act, Amnesty International has claimed.
The human rights group accused the Nigerian authorities of “gross dereliction of duty” as it claimed the security forces knew of the raid almost four hours before it took place but did too little to stop it. The human rights group accused the authorities of “gross dereliction of duty”, saying security forces knew of the Boko Haram raid in the north-eastern state of Borno almost four hours before it took place but did too little to stop it.
The “damning” claim was made as Amnesty released details of information it had been given during “multiple interviews with credible sources”. However, intelligence services claimed that they had discovered the location of the gunmen and at least some of the missing girls, who are understood to have been split into groups. President Goodluck Jonathan said earlier that he believed the missing girls were still in Nigeria.
Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s Africa director, said: “The fact that Nigerian security forces knew about Boko Haram’s impending raid, but failed to take the immediate action needed to stop it, will only amplify the national and international outcry at this horrific crime. The “damning” claim that warnings failed to galvanise the military into preventing the abductions was made as the US-based organisation released details of information from its “multiple interviews with credible sources”.
Netsanet Belay, Amnesty’s director for Africa, said: “The fact that Nigerian security forces knew about Boko Haram’s impending raid, but failed to take [immediate steps] to stop it, will only amplify the national and international outcry at this horrific crime.
“It amounts to a gross dereliction of Nigeria’s duty to protect civilians, who remain sitting ducks for such attacks. The Nigerian leadership must now use all lawful means at their disposal to secure the girls’ safe release and ensure nothing like this can happen again.”“It amounts to a gross dereliction of Nigeria’s duty to protect civilians, who remain sitting ducks for such attacks. The Nigerian leadership must now use all lawful means at their disposal to secure the girls’ safe release and ensure nothing like this can happen again.”
At 11.45pm on 14 April some 200 armed men from the militant Islamic group Boko Haram entered the town of Chibok where, after a brief gun battle with 17 police officers and soldiers, they seized more than 240 pupils from the Government Girls Secondary School. At 11.45pm on 14 April, 200 armed men from the militant Islamic group Boko Haram entered the town of Chibok where, after a brief gun battle with police and soldiers, they seized 276 pupils from the Government Girls Secondary School. Fifty have since escaped, but the rest remain with the insurgents.
Yet as early as 7pm, Amnesty said, the military headquarters in the state capital, Maiduguri, had been warned of the impending attack. Amnesty said the military was told of the impending attack as early as 7pm. Warnings were repeated through the evening but reinforcements failed to reach the town until the next day, long after the raid and the abductions.
Warnings were repeated through the evening but reinforcements failed to reach the town until the following day, long after the raid and the abduction of the girls.
Amnesty said: “An inability to muster troops – due to poor resources and a reported fear of engaging with the often better-equipped armed groups – meant that reinforcements were not deployed to Chibok that night.”Amnesty said: “An inability to muster troops – due to poor resources and a reported fear of engaging with the often better-equipped armed groups – meant that reinforcements were not deployed to Chibok that night.”
Local civilian patrols  in the nearby village of Gagilam were said to be among the first to report the presence of a large group of unidentified armed men on motorbikes. Among those alerted,  according to Amnesty, was the Borno state governor. Herdsmen had even reported that the armed men had demanded directions to the secondary school. Civilian patrols in the nearby village of Gagilam were said to be among the first to report the presence of a large group of unidentified armed men on motorcycles. Among those alerted, according to Amnesty, was the Borno state governor. Herdsmen had even reported that the armed men had demanded directions to the secondary school.
An official who was contacted by residents of Gagilam reportedly told Amnesty: “I was promised by the security people that reinforcement were on their way.” An official who was contacted by residents of Gagilam reportedly told Amnesty: “I was promised by the security people that reinforcements were on their way.”
The Nigerian authorities have yet to respond. Nigerian officials said they “doubt the veracity” of the Amnesty report. “If the government was aware [beforehand] there would have been an intervention [against the militants],” the Information Minister, Labaran Maku, told BBC World TV. However, he said the government would investigate the claims.
As a team of British experts arrived in Abuja to help find the girls, Prime Minister David Cameron said:  “This is a ghastly situation and an act of pure evil.” As British experts arrived to help in the search, David Cameron said: “[This kidnapping] is an act of pure evil.”
The Foreign Office said: “The team will be considering not just the recent incidents but also longer-term counter-terrorism solutions to prevent such attacks in the future and defeat Boko Haram.” Saudi Arabia’s leading religious authority, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, condemned Boko Haram as a group “set up to smear the image of Islam” and also condemned the kidnapping.
Meanwhile Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, the top religious authority, condemned Boko Haram as a group “set up to smear the image of Islam” and condemned the kidnapping.