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A Nigerian military official claims he knows the whereabouts of hundreds of kidnapped girls and young women. Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh told reporters, “The good news for the parents of the girls is that we know where they are, but we cannot tell you.” His comments were neither affirmed nor denied by US officials who have apparently been involved in ways that are not yet clear. The girls were kidnapped by a militant organization called Boko Haram, whose name translates to “Western Education is a Sin” in the Hausa language.

While an international campaign drawing attention to the kidnapped girls under the social media banner of #BringBackOurGirls has gathered major momentum, little attention has been paid to the conditions which have fostered a group like Boko Haram. Nigeria is a global energy center and the source of major profits for multinational oil companies yet ordinary Nigerians hardly see the benefits of their nation’s resources.

GUEST: Dele Aileman, a Nigerian born journalist and international labor campaigner and has also been involved in KPFK/Pacifica. He was the coordinator of the 2000 Los Angeles People’s Convention