Presidency to BBOG: Don’t give up on Chibok girls, others

 

Chibok girls

The Presidency on Monday appealed to officials and members of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaign group not to waver in their support for the government in the war against terrorism and in the ongoing efforts to free the Chibok girls and other Nigerian citizens taken captive by the Boko Haram sect.

The BBOG had in a recent statement claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari has “broken all promises” made to the group about rescuing the missing Chibok girls and that the government had been “lackadaisical” in the rescue mission.

But a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the past one year of the administration has seen the Nigerian military stepped up bombardment of a stronghold of the Boko Haram sect, the Sambisa Forest,  leading to the capture of hundreds of insurgents.

The statement also pointed out that records from the Army showed that more than 15,000 captives, mostly women and children have been rescued from the terrorists from February to date.

It said: “In addition, dozens of communities that were previously under the control of the terrorists have been liberated, allowing thousands of previously displaced citizens to return home and resume their normal lives.

“Thousands of these women and children freed from captivity have also been reunited with their families.

“This huge number of rescued women and children may not be prominent names, and their disappearance may not have generated any massive media attention and campaign.

“However, their liberation is just as important as that of every other missing woman and child, and a testament to the devotion of our military personnel who daily risk life and limb in the efforts to bring back every Nigerian citizen kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists.

“Along with these ongoing efforts to rid our country of terrorists and terrorism, the Nigerian government is focused on the welfare and rehabilitation of rescued Nigerians, many of whom were found in a state of severe malnutrition and illness.”

While noting that the intentions of the BBOG leadership are honourable, the statement said the group perhaps did not consider the collateral damage which must follow its riveting and dispiriting claim that the President has “broken all promises” allegedly made to the group on this issue, or that he has been “lackadaisical” in rescuing the Chibok girls.

The Federal Government’s focus, it said, has always been to free the Chibok girls alive and unharmed.