The Nigerian government has set up a committee to probe the circumstances leading to the abduction of 110 girls from a school in Dapchi, Yobe State.
The abductions which took place penultimate Monday is believed to have been carried out by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram.
On Monday, the army and police traded blames on who was responsible for the security of Dapchi during the attack.
The 12-member committee set up was announced in a statement by the information minister, Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday afternoon.
The committee is largely made up of security and government representatives.
Read Mr. Mohammed’s full statement below.
The Federal Government has set up a 12-member committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction of 110 students of the Government Girls Science and Technical College (GGSTC) in Dapchi, Yobe State, following the attack on the school by insurgents on 19 February 2018.
The committee was convened by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, according to a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
The committee, which will be chaired by a military officer of the rank of Major-General, comprises one senior provost each from the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force; representatives of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA); Nigeria Police Force (NPF); Department of State Services (DSS); Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); two representatives of the Yobe State Government and a representative of the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The terms of reference of the committee include ascertaining the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the girls, confirming the presence, composition, scale and disposition of security emplaced in Dapchi as well as in GGSTC before the incident and suggesting measures that can lead to the location and rescue of the girls.
The panel, which is expected to submit its report by March 15, 2018, is also saddled with recommending measures to prevent future occurrence.
The committee will be inaugurated on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.”
Meanwhile, the presidency on Tuesday provided the names and details of the 110 girls missing after Boko Haram attacked Dapchi in Yobe State.
Parents of the girls had also released a list of 105 girls missing after the attack.
After the parents released the list, the federal government announced that 110 girls were actually missing.
On Tuesday, the presidency on its twitter handle provided the names of the girls and the classes they were in before the kidnap.
“Of the 110 missing girls, 8 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. #DapchiUpdate”