Amnesty International accused the Nigerian military of having prior knowledge of Boko Haram's intent to attack a boarding school that resulted in hundreds of schoolgirls being kidnapped, according to a Friday report from the human rights group.
Commanders in Nigeria's military knew of the militant group's plans to raid the boarding school in the Borno state town of Chibok at least four hours before the girls were abducted, according to the report obtained by CNN.
Military commanders tried to respond to the situation, but were unable to gather enough forces. Instead, a group of 17 soldiers along with several police officers were stationed in the town to stop the militants.
Reinforcements were sent to Chibok, but they arrived after the militants were already there, Borno state Senator Ahmed Zannah said according to CNN.
A total of 276 girls were taken in the attack at the Government Girls' Secondary School on the night of April 14. Nearly 50 girls were able to escape. But 223 are still missing.
"The fact that Nigerian security forces knew about Boko Haram's impending raid, but failed to take the immediate action needed to stop it, will only amplify the national and international outcry at this horrific crime," Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International director for research and advocacy in Africa, said in a statement.
Nigeria's government has already faced local and global backlash for what critics say is a lack of action to locate and bring the girls home. Unconfirmed reports say the girls were separated into groups and taken to Cameroon and Chad.
Nearly 2,000 civilians were killed in militant attacks in the north this year, according to CNN. An attack on a town that was used as a station for troops aiding in the search killed 310 people alone. The group wants to form an Islamic state in the north.
"It amounts to a gross dereliction of Nigeria's duty to protect civilians, who remain sitting ducks for such attacks," Belay continued. "The Nigerian leadership must now use all lawful means at their disposal to secure the girls' safe release and ensure nothing like this can happen again."
U.S. and British troops have been deployed to the capital Abuja to help find the schoolgirls, officials told CNN.
