Buhari in Damaturu, Commits to Rescue of Dapchi Girls

President Muhamadu Buhari visited Yobe on Wednesday  where he assured the people of commitment to the rescue of the 110 Dapchi schoolgirls.

The girls were abducted by Boko Haram on February 19 in Dapchi, Yobe state, where Buhari also visited to console parents of the abducted girls.

In Damaturu, in continuation of his tour of troubled states, Buhari said he had “no doubt” the Dapchi girls would be rescued or released.

“I can reassure parents, Nigerians and the international community that we will do all that is within our power to make sure that the girls are brought back safely to their families.

“There will be no rest till the last girl, whether from Chibok or Dapchi, is released.

“The girls, like all our citizens, must enjoy unhindered freedom and pursue their legitimate aspirations.”

The Dapchi kidnapping occurred despite repeated claims from Buhari, his government and the military that Boko Haram was a spent force, as a result of a sustained counter-insurgency.

Nigeria’s political opposition has called into question the extent of those claims and also urged him to meet parents of the missing Dapchi girls.

His visit to Yobe was part of a tour of states hit by unrest.

On Tuesday, the #BringBackOurGirls pressure group gave the government a seven-day deadline to free the remaining 112 Chibok girls and 110 Dapchi girls or face court action.

In his speech, Buhari said he was aware of “orchestrations by some evil elements to take advantage of the development to score cheap political points”.

“The government, under my watch, will continue to maintain normalcy and ensure that incidents of this nature (mass kidnappings) are stopped,” he added.

“Be assured that measures are being put in place to achieve these objectives.”