It was freedom at last
yesterday for 21 secondary school girls who were abducted from Chibok community
in Borno State 30 months ago by Boko Haram.
Media
report continues:
President
Muhammadu Buhari immediately pledged to secure ‘all Nigerians’ just as the
release of the girls by the terrorists became a subject of controversy.
However,
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Federal Ministry of Information, in their
reactions to reports by the international media, said the Nigerian government
did not enter a swap deal and gave nothing in exchange for the girls who were
kidnapped while writing their Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE)
in the Northeast’s Christian community.
Shortly
before departing the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja yesterday for
security talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Buhari expressed
delight over the release of the girls. “To Nigerians all over, it is our
responsibility and we will continue to secure them wherever they are,” the
President pledged.
There
were speculations that some of the girls, who had long been converted to Islam
and married off to their captors, could be pregnant, prompting assurances from
Information Minister Lai Mohammed that adequate medical checks would be
conducted. Photographs of some of the girls either betrayed pregnancy or showed
they were already mothers.
The
girls, as of last night, were still in the custody of Nigeria’s secret police,
the Department of State Services (DSS). The #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) group
celebrated the 21 girls and called for the release of the remaining 197 still
in Boko Haram captivity.
The
BBOG, in response to reports of the negotiated release, said the development
confirmed its position on the capacity of government to rescue the Chibok
girls.
“While
awaiting further details, we take this opportunity to salute the work of our
security services at the frontlines, the commitment, resilience and tireless
efforts of our members of the Multinational Joint Task Force and the civilian
JTF,” the group said.
No
government official was willing to speak on record over the health status of
the girls as Lai Mohammed disclosed that when they arrive in Abuja, they would
undergo extensive examinations.
There
had been speculations that the terrorist group had asked for a huge sum of money
running into hundreds of billions of naira which the government allegedly
turned down. Another speculation was that the group asked for a swap of some of
its men in detention.
Some
weeks ago, the speculations led to stories in the media that the Suleja
Catholic Church bomber, Kabiru Sokoto, had been set free. Agency reports
monitored said some girls were exchanged for four Boko Haram prisoners in
Banki, Borno State.
“The
girls were brought to Kumshe, which is 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Banki
where a military base is stationed, in ICRC (International Committee of the Red
Cross) vehicles,” according to AFP, quoting a source.
“The
four Boko Haram militants were brought to Banki from Maiduguri in a military
helicopter from where they were driven to Kumshe in ICRC vehicles.”
From
Kumshe, the girls were taken by helicopter to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno
State, the agency report said further.
“The
21 girls arrived in Banki about 3:00 am (0200 GMT) where they found a military
helicopter waiting. They were immediately ushered into the helicopter and flown
to Maiduguri,” AFP quoted another source.
Osinbajo
indicated that the government was also ready to consider several other options
to rescue the remaining girls.
Later,
Lai Mohammed, DG of DSS, Lawal Daura, Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha
Alhassan, and Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Ahmed Zainab,
among others accompanied Osinbajo and his wife, Dolapo, to the headquarters of
the DSS to officially receive the girls.
Briefing
State House correspondents last night, Osinbajo said: “There was no exchange of
any kind, but government would use the same template to facilitate the release
of the remaining abducted girls.”
According
to him, the government has already started negotiations.
Mohammed
said that the release of the girls was the most glaring manifestation to date
of the unwavering commitment of the President to secure their safe release and
reunite them with their families.
“It
is also a result of the round-the-clock efforts by the administration to put a
closure to the sad issue of the kidnap of the girls,” he stressed.
The
minister disclosed that ahead of the girls’ arrival in Abuja yesterday, the
government had assembled a team of medical doctors, psychologists, social
workers, trauma experts and others to properly examine them. “They will also be
adequately debriefed,” he noted.
Mohammed
said the government had the list of the 21 girls but was contacting their
parents as part of the necessary verification and as soon as it was concluded,
the names would be released to the public.
He
gave an insight into how the girls were released: “Gentlemen, as we have always
said, we have been working on the safe release of the girls and following all
the leads available. In this instance, the moment we had a credible lead, Mr.
President gave the green light to the DSS to pursue it. We can confirm that the
DSS pursued the lead in collaboration with a friendly European country and a
renowned international humanitarian organization. The DSS was supported by the
military.
“As
soon as the necessary confidence was built on both sides, the parties agreed on
the date and the location of the release of the 21 girls.
Please note that this is not a swap. It is a release, the product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides.”
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