Nigerian military ignored abduction warning: Amnesty

Nigeria's military reportedly ignored advanced warnings about the Islamist militant group Boko Haram's attack that ended in the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls, according to Amnesty International.

Amnesty said that damning testimonies gathered by Amnesty International reveal that Nigerian security forces failed to act on advance warnings about Boko Haram's armed raid on the state-run boarding school in Chibok which led to the abduction.

According to News 24, the right group said that Nigeria's military headquarters in Maiduguri was aware of the impending attack soon after 19:00 (18:00 GMT) on 14 April, close to four hours before Boko Haram began their assault on the town.

However, owing to poor resources and a reported fear of engaging with the often better-equipped Islamist terror group, the Nigerian military could not assemble the troops needed to suppress the attack, Amnesty added.

Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International's Africa Director for research and advocacy said that 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 report added.