Some hostages may still be alive – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has said he believes that some of the seven foreigners  kidnapped by an Islamic sect, Ansaru,  in  Jama’are, Bauchi State on February 7, are  still alive.

Ansaru had penultimate Saturday said it had killed all  the hostages because of attempts by Britain and Nigeria to rescue them. It went ahead to post  a video of what it said was the bodies of the foreigners on the Internet

The video dated March 9 showed a gunman standing next to a pile of bodies, then close-ups of their faces lit up by a torch. It carried the Arabic title, “The killing of the seven Christian hostages in Nigeria” although the religion of the deceased  was not clear.

A caption underneath  it  said in Arabic and in English: “In the name of Allah Most Beneficent Most Merciful.”

The United Kingdom, Italy and Greece had shortly before the sect’s video went viral,  confirmed the killings.

But less than a week after the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, told the BBC  that Ansaru’s  claim  remained unconfirmed, Jonathan  on Monday  said  that some of the hostages might have died of natural causes.

The President, who addressed a joint press conference with   visiting President Michel Sleiman of the Republic of Lebanon, added that the UK  and other friendly nations were working with the Nigerian authorities to rescue  those still alive.

 He assured that if eventually it was confirmed that all the hostages – Brendan Vaughan (British); Silvano Trevisan (Italian); Imad Andari (Lebanese); Carlos Bou Aziz (Lebanese); Konstantinos Karras (Greek); Ghaida Saad (F/Syrian); and Julio Alkhouli (Syrian )- were killed, he would insist on the recovery of their bodies.

Jonathan  said since Lebanese were among the hostages, he had briefed the visiting President on efforts being made by  his administration to rescue them.

Jonathan stated that  security agents had been careful about the  rescue  process in order not to expose the hostages to danger like a previous  scenario where victims  were killed by their  captors  when efforts were being made to  free them.

He also identified the difficult terrain of the place where the hostages are suspected to be kept as another major challenge being faced by security operatives.

The President  said, “We discussed it (the issue of the foreign hostages). It is quite a sad moment in our history. The issue of excesses of Boko Haram and related organisations getting involved in terrorist activities, it is quite sad; it is a sad stage which we will pass through.

“On the kidnap, various nationals are involved and we have been working with our  friendly nations, including  the United Kingdom and others to see that these people are rescued.

“Because of the ugly experience we had when a similar situation happened and about the time we were to release the people, they were shot. The security services are  being careful so that the hostages would not be killed.

“The place where we suspect they are is quite a difficult area; its a  rocky terrain that you cannot easily access. Over the period, they released some information through the social media but analysis of that information does not really give us a conclusive position.

“We discuss this everyday. We really suspect that some probably have died either from ill health or  other related causes  but we still believe that not all the seven (have died) because even  what we saw on  the social media did not really show all the seven.

“So we are still working . I have briefed my colleague, the President of Lebanon,  that we are still working on it and we will get to the root. If they are killed, I will insist that we must get their corpses.”

On whether the military in the two countries would collaborate on the matter, Jonathan said he did not discuss direct military pact with the Lebanese president for now.

He however said they agreed at the international level for Nigeria and Lebanon to work with the rest of the world to ensure that the excesses of terrorists worldwide were contained.

Sleiman whose  visit to the country is said to be the first by any Lebanese President since Nigeria gained independence in 1960,   thanked the Federal Government for its  efforts to liberate the hostages.

He urged the kidnappers to set the hostages free immediately, saying their kidnapping would not serve any purpose.

“I agree with President Jonathan. I thank the Nigerian government for its efforts aimed at the liberation of the hostages. I hope the kidnappers will set them free immediately.

“These actions (kidnappings) are not efficient and they will not serve any cause, no matter how important the causes are for the perpetrators. On the contrary, they bring negative outcomes,” the Lebanese President said.

In a joint communique issued at the end of the presidents’ bilateral talks, the two leaders were said to have  exchanged views on regional and international issues .

The two Presidents commended the longstanding people-to-people contacts between Nigerians and Lebanese and pledged to take measures to encourage such contacts.

While noting the significant roles played by the two countries in their respective regional organisations(Lebanon in the Arab League and Nigeria in the ECOWAS and African Union), they  pledged to work through these institutions to support the United Nations in the discharge of its mandate.

They also lauded Nigeria’s exemplary role in contributing to the peacekeeping efforts of the UN.

Both leaders welcomed the ongoing efforts aimed at reforming the UN in order to equip it better to meet the current challenges in the maintenance of international peace and security.

In this regard,  they called for  an  urgent reform of the UN  Security Council to make it more democratic and reflective of the changes in the international arena.

 The two Presidents also spoke highly of the friendly relations and cooperation between Africa and the Middle East.

On Guinea Bissau and Mali, they commended Nigeria’s role  in helping to stabilise the situation in Guinea Bissau and in the pursuit of the noble objectives of dislodging  terrorist groups from Northern Mali and to restore the territorial integrity of the country.

 In that regard, the Presidents commended the efforts of the international community through the African Support Mission in Mali.

The communique added, “Both Presidents during bilateral talks noted the importance of economic and trade cooperation and urged their respective Ministers of Trade and Investment, Commerce and Industry to speed up their efforts to conclude the ongoing negotiations of the Trade and Investment Promotion Agreements for them to be signed as soon as possible.

“They acknowledged that the greater people-to-people contacts would provide a more solid inundation for strengthening of their relationship and deepening mutual understanding and friendly ties between the two countries and people’s.

“In that connection, the two Presidents noted the hospitality granted Lebanese nationals in Nigeria, many of whom have intermarried with Nigerians and have acquired Nigerian citizenship. They therefore urged that Nigerians in Lebanon be so encouraged to integrate with their hosts.

“President Jonathan and his guest also underlined their commitment to promote bilateral technical and capacity building and cooperation in the fields of agriculture and allied industry, trade and investment, culture and tourism, infrastructure development and public works, aviation and combating terrorism.

“President Sleiman extended an invitation to President Jonathan to pay a state visit to Lebanon, which was accepted. The date of the visit would be worked out through diplomatic channel.”

Sleiman had arrived the Presidential Villa, Abuja about 11am with top Lebanese government officials amidst a 21-gun salute.

The visiting President later inspected a guard of honour mounted by men of the Presidential Guards Brigade.