President Muhammadu Buhari has restated his pledge that Boko Haram will
not be considered defeated without the rescue of the Chibok girls and all
other innocent persons held hostage by the Boko Haram insurgents.
The President reiterated this in a response to a letter written to him by
Ms Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education,
youngest-ever Nobel Prize Laureate and Co-Founder of the Malala Fund.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (centre) with
the 21 Chibok girls freed by Boko Haram. The girls were received by the
president at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday, October 19, 2016. PHOTO:
TWITTER/PODE
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (centre) with
the 21 Chibok girls freed by Boko Haram. The girls were received by the
president at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday, October 19, 2016. PHOTO:
TWITTER/PODE
President Muhammadu Buhari has restated his pledge that Boko Haram will
not be considered defeated without the rescue of the Chibok girls and all
other innocent persons held hostage by the Boko Haram insurgents.
The President reiterated this in a response to a letter written to him by
Ms Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education,
youngest-ever Nobel Prize Laureate and Co-Founder of the Malala Fund.
A press release on the letter dated Jan. 10 and signed on behalf of the
President by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
was made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the press release was signed by
the Special Adviser to the Minister, Mr Segun Adeyemi.
The President said that the “Nigerian government is unrelenting in its
efforts to ensure the safe return of the Chibok girls who remain in
captivity’’.
He said the military, the State Security Service and the other security
agencies were intensifying their efforts to ensure freedom for all those
who remained in captivity.
Buhari noted that while he could not divulge the details of ongoing
negotiations to secure the release of
the girls due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations, the government
is committed to their rescue.
“Be rest assured of the doggedness, commitment and sincerity of the
Nigeria’s Federal Government toward ensuring the safe return of the Chibok
girls, and indeed all others still in captivity.
The President said the gallant troops of the Nigerian military had
recently scored a great victory by seizing control of the Sambisa forest,
the last stronghold of the Boko Haram elements who were responsible for
the kidnap of the Chibok girls.
On the welfare of the 21 Chibok girls who regained their freedom on Oct.
13, 2016, the president said the federal government had taken over the
responsibility for their personal, educational and professional goals and
ambitions in life.
“They are being given comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological
care and support, and anyone who has seen them in recent times will attest
to the fact that their reintegration back to the society is progressing
well.
“The federal government believes that it is not too late for the girls to
go back to school, and everything will be done to ensure that they
continue the pursuit of their
studies,’’ he assured.
Buhari commended Malala for her continuing caring disposition toward the
release of the girls who remained in captivity and the welfare of the
girls who had regained their freedom.
He said: “there is no better example of the fact that we are all linked by
our common humanity’’.