XCLUSIVE NEWS: Atiku backs US, UK intervention on abducted girls

A former  Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,has said he is in support of the offer of military support from the United States of America, United Kingdom, France and others to free the abducted Chibok girls.

He also lauded the acceptance of the offer by the Nigerian government, though he said the country waited for too long before admitting it needed external help.
Atiku, who stated this on a post on his website on Friday, said with the campaign to bring back the abducted girls, the country has reached a “turning point in our contest against terrorism in Nigeria.”
While describing the period as being critical, the former Vice President added that the war will not be won without the country winning the battle.
He wrote, “And at a moment like this we can no longer afford anything but a united commitment to stamping out a great evil that threatens the very existence of the only place we call home.
“On social media I have been amazed by the outpouring of solidarity from within and outside Nigeria. While on the one hand it is sad to see Nigeria in the news for its inability to protect its most vulnerable citizens, it is also clear that in the age of social media no concerns or problems are local.
“It is in light of this that I welcome the offer of military support from the United States, United Kingdom, France and others, and the acceptance by the Nigerian government. While I believe that we waited too long to get to this point of admitting our need for external help, I will also insist that it’s better late than never.”
Though he said he had and would continue to have major policy differences with the government on Abuja and its leadership, he however added that as a nation we must remain united.
He said that “We must make it clear that under no circumstances should any person, group of persons, or organization ever be permitted to prey on the children of Nigeria, or any other country.
“We must make it easy for everyone who has information about this crime against humanity to contact the authorities at once.
“We must make it easy for the innocent population of the affected areas to see the Nigerian military and authorities as friends, not enemies.
“We must make it easy for our soldiers to be loyal and committed to this great and difficult task ahead of them.
“We must make it easy for the world to see Nigeria as a country that cares for all its citizens, regardless of their age, gender, religion, ethnic group or economic class.
“We must remember the people most affected, trapped on the frontlines of the battle. They need support, relief and rehabilitation.”
He said Nigerians must know that the abducted girls would need help when they return home to their families and their loved ones.
Atiku, who is a member of the All Progressive Congress, said it would be wrong for anyone to play politics with the ongoing security crisis in the country.
“And we must make it difficult for anyone to play politics with this crisis. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is worth the bloodshed and the destruction we have come to associate with this campaign against terror. Not party affiliations, not the 2015 elections,” he added.