ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — U.S. reconnaissance aircraft have been flying over Nigeria in the search for nearly 300 kidnapped schoolgirls.
The flights come a day after the Boko Haram (BOH’-koh hah-RAHM’) militant group released video evidence that at least some of the girls are still alive and demanded that jailed fighters be swapped for their freedom.
Nigerian authorities have verified the footage as authentic, saying 54 of the girls have been identified by relatives, teachers and classmates who have seen the video.
A Nigerian government official says “all options” are open in the effort to free the girls.
Protesters marched through the streets of the capital, Abuja, today, demanding more government action to find and free the girls. They are believed to be held in the vast Sambisi forest some 20 miles from the eastern town of Chibok, where they were seized from their school a month ago.
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206-a-12-(Jay Carney, White House press secretary, at news conference)-“or other concessions”-White House press secretary Jay Carney says it would be wrong to ransom the Nigerian school girls abducted by Boko Haram extremists. (13 May 2014)
< 205-a-09-(Attorney General Eric Holder, at news conference at the Justice Department)-“be of use”-Attorney General Eric Holder says the Justice Department is aiding the effort to find the kidnapped girls. (13 May 2014) < 177-a-15-(Shehu Sani (SHAY’-hoo SAH’-nee), former government mediator who’s negotiated with Boko Haram, in interview)-“freeing these girls”-Shehu Sani, who’s negotiated with Boko Haram for the Nigerian government in the past, says there’s going to have to be some give-and-take with this group. COURTESY: Sky News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (13 May 2014) < 178-a-15-(Shehu Sani (SHAY’-hoo SAH’-nee), former government mediator who’s negotiated with Boko Haram, in interview)-“scrutiny and question”-Shehu Sani, who’s negotiated with Boko Haram for the Nigerian government in the past, says the world is watching — and Nigeria’s stature and moral standing are being dissected. COURTESY: Sky News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (13 May 2014) < 159-w-35-(Sagar Meghani (SAH’-gur meh-GAH’-nee), AP national security correspondent, with Colonel Steve Warren, Pentagon spokesman)–The U.S. is flying surveillance aircraft over Nigeria in the hunt for the missing schoolgirls. AP National Security Correspondent Sagar Meghani reports from the Pentagon. (13 May 2014) < 161-a-11-(Colonel Steve Warren, Pentagon spokesman, with reporters)-“providing fixed-wing ISR”-Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, says he will not discuss whether the U.S. military is using manned or unmanned aircraft to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in searching for the girls. (13 May 2014) < 162-a-09-(Colonel Steve Warren, Pentagon spokesman, with reporters)-“of rescue operation”-Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, says the U.S. military has a team of analysts in Nigeria, with no plans to send ground troops in. (13 May 2014) < APPHOTO GFX2285: Graphic shows the recent news on Boko Haram, the state of Nigeria and potential whereabouts of school girls kidnapped by the terror organization; 3c x 4 1/2 inches; 146 mm x 114 mm; (13 May 2014) < APPHOTO NIN106: Women attend a demonstration calling on the government to rescue the kidnapped schoolgirls of the Chibok secondary school, in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, May 13, 2014. A Nigerian government official said “all options are open” in efforts to rescue almost 300 abducted schoolgirls from their captors as US reconnaissance aircraft started flying over this West African country in a search effort. Boko Haram, the militant group that kidnapped the girls last month from a school in Borno state, had released a video yesterday purporting to show some of the girls. A civic leader said representatives of the missing girls’ families were set to view the video as a group later today to see if some of the girls can be identified. (AP Photo / Sunday Alamba) (13 May 2014) < APPHOTO NIN105: Women attend a demonstration calling on the government to rescue the kidnapped schoolgirls of the Chibok secondary school, in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, May 13, 2014. A Nigerian government official said “all options are open” in efforts to rescue almost 300 abducted schoolgirls from their captors as US reconnaissance aircraft started flying over this West African country in a search effort. Boko Haram, the militant group that kidnapped the girls last month from a school in Borno state, had released a video yesterday purporting to show some of the girls. A civic leader said representatives of the missing girls’ families were set to view the video as a group later today to see if some of the girls can be identified. (AP Photo / Sunday Alamba) (13 May 2014) < APPHOTO LON115: FILE – This file photo taken from video by Nigeria’s Boko Haram terrorist network, Monday, May 12, 2014, shows the missing girls alleged to be abducted April 14, from the northeastern town of Chibok. A Nigerian government official said “all options are open” in efforts to rescue the almost 300 abducted schoolgirls from their Islamic extremist captors as U.S. surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft started flying over the West African country. (AP Photo/File) (12 May 2014) < Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.