Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
NIGERIA, ABUJA – The Federal Government has said it has not forgotten the remaining 87 Chibok girls, including Leah Sharibu, and other persons being held captive by terrorists and bandits.
Recall that on the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276 mostly Christian, with some Muslim, schoolgirls aged from 16 to 18 were kidnapped by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria.
The National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of National Security Adviser, Major General Adamu Laka stated this on Tuesday.
Laka revealed that the armed forces and other security agencies have not relented; hence, in the past, aid workers of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and others in captivity, particularly some Chibok girls, were rescued through negotiations, kinetic operations, and others.
“But we have not given up hope in our efforts. Even in the case of Leah Sharibu, we are still on it.
“The fact that we are not in the news talking about this should not be interpreted as ,it is a forgotten issue,” the general stated.
Laka added, “Since when they (Chibok girls) were kidnapped, those who were rescued were not just rescued at one time. It was a gradual process. Negotiations were done, trying to get them out. Operations were conducted also. Some were rescued.
ALSO READ: Over 200 Boko Haram Terrorists Surrender To Military
“Luckily, at the beginning of that incident, towards the year after they were kidnapped, I was in the theatre, and I know what the military and intelligence agencies put in to rescue the initial set of the Chibok girls. No, we haven’t given up hope on them.
“Some of them were married to some of the insurgents. Some have come out. But let our focus not only be on the Chibok girls.
“There are others that have been kidnapped. Aid workers, Nigerian aid workers that were kidnapped. We’ve rescued some that are working for UNICEF. We’ve rescued some that are working for UNHCR and IOM and so on.
“Do you understand? So, we haven’t relented on our efforts. There is the issue of this Leah Sharibu. So because it’s not always in the press does not mean we are not always talking about it. It doesn’t mean we don’t care. It doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about them. We are still on it.
“Our prayer is that the whole 87 or 80-plus kidnapped girls that are left will be rescued, by God’s grace.”
