For the umpteenth time, the presidency on Wednesday reassured the parents of the abducted students from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State that the Buhari-led administration remains committed to securing the release of the missing girls.
No fewer than 100 girls were yet to be released seven years after the abduction of over 276 girls on the night of April 14, 2014 in Chibok, Borno State.
Several promises have been made in the past, but the girls are still in the wild as parents remain in devastating state.
Marking the 7th year of the gruesome abduction, the presidency in a statement released by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu identified the parents whose children were carted away by the Boko Haram insurgents.
The Presidency stated that the release of the remaining Chibok girls is still a work in progress.
The statement reads, “No one is giving up hope here. Efforts to secure their release through various channels and activities of the security and intelligence agencies remain on course.
“The recent decisive push by the military against the terrorists gives hope that a breakthrough is possible and could happen anytime soon.
The presidency urged Nigerians and parents of the missing girls to support the government and the military with prayers so as to get rid of those held hostage in the country.
“The Presidency asks for support, understanding and prayers for the military as they discharge their historic mandate to quickly finish off the insurgency war and free all citizens held hostage” the statement added.
Similarly, The New Diplomat had reported that the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum on Wednesday reiterated the commitment of President Buhari towards the release of Chibok girls.
Zulum in the statement submitted that President Buhari is concerned about the missing girls and has expressed optimism that the girls will soon be freed and reunite with their families.
“From my series of interactions with the President, Commander in Chief, Muhammadu Buhari, I have seen in him that he is as concerned as the parents of the Chibok and all of us.” he said.
On his part, the governor also said he has noy lost hope that the missing girls will be safely recovered.
“I haven’t lost hope that our remaining Chibok schoolgirls and other abducted persons will be safely recovered”
Speaking further, Zulum urged parents, especially anyone with a female child to pause for a while, no matter how brief, to imagine how it might feel to have one’s daughter abducted and held for more than 2,549 days so far. Imagine how parents and relations of these girls have been feeling in each of these days.
“I believe the President and I urge everyone in Borno to sustain prayers for those girls and everyone in abduction to be safely freed, and for peace to be fully and permanently restored in Borno.” He said.
Governor Zulum prays that God in his infinite mercy would answer “our prayers and grant us the peace we have been so desperate to gain for almost 12 years now.”
