Omokri Lauds Buhari, Expresses Reservations about Boko Haram’s Gesture

A former Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Reno Omokri, has praised President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the leadership that enabled the release of 82 Chibok girls.

Omokri has, however, expressed reservations that Boko Haram, which has recently lost their top commanders and many of their foot soldiers to military bombardment still went ahead to release 82 Chibok girls to the same federal government that their leader had sworn revenge on exactly a week earlier.

The former aide to Jonathan said in a statement yesterday that anybody that was not happy that 82 Chibok girls were released must be a monster whose humanity should be called into question.
“I thank God that these girls have been released and I commend the federal government for the feat of ensuring that these girls are reunited with their families. May God bless President Buhari for providing the leadership that enabled this to happen,” he said.

He recalled that early this month, fighter jets from the Nigerian Air Force had pounded Boko Haram positions in Balla village, which is 25 miles from Damboa, just outside Sambisa Forest and killed several fighers, including the group’s deputy leader, Abba Mustapha, alias Malam Abba and another leader, Abubakar Gashua, alias Abu Aisha, described as a key person in the group’s hierarchy.

Omokri noted that the Nigerian Air force acknowledged in emailed a statement to the AFP that the “Battle damage assessment conducted after the strike showed that several leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist organisation and their followers were killed during the attacks”. Also earlier this month, Omokri said Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, released a video denouncing and taunting the Nigerian government over the attack and promising reprisals.

“Yet, after this incident on April 29, 2017 that led to the death of their top commanders and many of their foot soldiers, Boko Haram still went on to release 82 Chibok girls to the same Nigerian government that their leader had sworn revenge on exactly a week earlier? Does this add up? Does this gel with reality? Does this even make sense? Is Boko Haram that magnanimous?,” Omokri queried.

He also noted that when the girls were ferried over to the Nigerian Presidential Villa at Aso Rock, Abuja to meet with President Buhari, the photographs released showed them looking very well fed and robust.