Cameroon: Authorities doubt arrested suicide bomber is a 'Chibok girl'

The Cameroonian authorities have very strong doubts on the assertions of the female suicide bomber arrested last Friday, the girl said that she was part of the 276 schoolgirls abducted in April 2014 in Chibok (Nigeria) by Boko Haram.

“We do not think she is a Chibok girl,” a senior Cameroonian administrative officer told AFP on condition of anonymity, highlighting the inconsistencies between the assumed age of the suicide bomber and when the Chibok girls were abducted .

“The pictures of the alleged suicide bombers obtained by the Nigerian authorities indicate that the girl (suicide bomber) is probably a minor, aged between 9 to 12. Her accomplice was about 30 years and they both speak only Kanuri language,” said Garba Shehu, spokesman of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday night in a statement.

This girl who “was heavily drugged and had numerous injuries on the body”, is being treated in Cameroon and can be relocated.

4. Pictures of the arrested suspected bomber obtained by Nigerian officials indicated that the girl was likely a minor, btw ages 9-12 years.

— Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) March 28, 2016

But Shehu said the photos must be verified by members of the community Chibok.

Nigeria had announced over weekend they were sending a delegation which includes some of the parents of the abducted Chibok girls to Cameroon to verify the claims of the suicide bomber.

“Families can come if they want to. The two suicide bombers are still there,” added the administrative senior official.

A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14, 2014 by Boko Haram as they were preparing to write school examinations, in Chibok, Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria.

57 of them managed to escape but there is still no news of the remaining 219 girls.

AFP