Gordon Brown Charges UK To Act More On Abducted Schoolgirls In Nigeria

Gordon Brown has criticized the United Kingdom, UK, for not doing enough to help the government in Nigeria find and release more than 200 school girls abducted in Nigeria almost three months ago.

The schoolgirls were abducted on 14 April, 2014 inside the compound of Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, North-eastern Nigeria by members of Islamist militant sect, Boko Haram.

Speaking on the matter during a debate in the House of Commons, the former Prime Minister said that the UK is not doing enough to support Nigeria to rescue the kidnapped schoolgirls from their abductors.

* Gordon Brown

He also said the international community should provide more helicopters and surveillance equipment.

"In its hour of need Nigeria required more helicopter support, more aircraft cover, more surveillance equipment," the BBC quoted the ex-Prime Minister as saying.

The former Labour Party leader added: "I believe that we should also support President [Goodluck] Jonathan's call for a better coordinated system for sharing intelligence across borders, and if necessary the use of Special Forces and law enforcement agencies to help them confront terrorism."

He said the world's attention span was limited, and interest in the plight of the children had "ebbed".

* Kidnapped schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State

The UK has already pledged £1m to help with security, but Mr Brown said the country needed to go further.

The United Nations, UN, had said no fewer than 4,000 people have been killed in Nigeria since 2009 by Boko Haram attacks.

* Scene of bomb blast in Maiduguri on Tuesday, 1 July, 2014

Scores of people are being killed in cold blood nearly every day in the state. On Tuesday, an explosion rocked a Monday market in Maiduguri, Borno State. 

Though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack as at the time of compiling this report, the Boko Haram sect is believed to be behind the evil act.

Source: Legit.ng