May 9, 2014
by Wole Oye
A video, which went viral on the social media on Thursday, that members of dreaded sect, Boko Haram, buried alive and stoned to death one of the abducted girls of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, has been described as a ruse.
The Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, in a terse response to the video, which gained fast spread among Nigerians on Blackberry, YouTube and Facebook, said it was shot in Somalia in 2008.
Obanikoro said his position was based on a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
According to him, the video came into public consciousness in 2013 when it was first aired.
Obanikoro said: “The video flying around of one of our missing girls allegedly being stoned to death is as old as 2013 and considering the facts around the said video, much older.
“While the act is as despicable as it is condemnable, a 2008 BBC report shows that it happened in Somalia.”
The video shows a young lady clad in hijab brought out into an open space by some men dressed like terrorists.
The lady, without being forced, entered into a pit-like hole that was dug behind a house.
She was then covered up to her neck with sand before she was stoned to death.
This led to outrage on Thursday, with a lot of Nigerians calling for the quick release of the Chibok girls before they are all killed in the same manner.
However, Obanikoro in his response to the development, said such insinuation at a trying time in the life of the country was unwarranted.
He said: “Moments like these require the collaboration and focus of all citizens to our common goal – bringing an end to terror in Nigeria.
“I encourage all Nigerians to refrain from spreading information capable of inciting terror.
“Instead, let us #SupportOurSoldiers with valuable information that will help us #BringBackOurGirls and #EndBokoHaram.” – The Eagle Online