FG Confirms 110 Dapchi Schoolgirls Missing

Hamilton Nwosa
Writer
new-diplomat default image
new-diplomat default image

Ad

Alleged Christian Genocide: Nigerian Lawmakers Slam US Bill, Call It A “Malicious lie”

By Abiola Olawale The House of Representatives on Wednesday condemned a United States congressional bill accusing Nigerian officials of allegedly enabling "systematic" religious killings, particularly against Christians. Lawmakers branded the legislation a "gross misrepresentation" of the country's security woes, insisting that violence stems from terrorism and banditry, not state-sponsored persecution. This position comes in response…

Alleged ₦4bn Fraud: Drama as Kano Anti-Graft Agency Moves to Probe Ganduje’s Govt

By Abiola Olawale The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has launched an investigation into an alleged diversion of over ₦4 billion in public funds during the tenure of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The New Diplomat reports that the probe is said to be centered on the Dala Inland Dry Port project.…

APC secures two-thirds senate majority as Enugu Labour Party senator defects

By Obinna Uballa The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has tightened its grip on the Senate after Senator Kelvin Chukwu, representing Enugu East, defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC. Senate President Godswill Akpabio formally announced Chukwu’s defection during Wednesday’s plenary, raising the APC’s strength in the upper chamber to 73 seats, a…

Ad

The Federal Government has confirmed that 110 students of the Government Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, are so far unaccounted for, after insurgents believed to be from a faction of Boko Haram invaded their school on 19 Feb.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the figure after a meeting in Damaturu  between a Federal Government Delegation and representatives of Yobe state government,  the college, the parents, security agencies and Bursari local government, where Dapchi is situated.

He said, based on the briefings from the Principal of the College, Hajia Adama Abdulkarim, and the state Commissioner for Education,  Mohammed Lami, 110 out of 906 students, have not been accounted
for. All the students  were in the school on the day of the attack

Alhaji Mohammed also announced that the Federal Government has directed the police and civil defence authorities in Yobe State to immediately deploy their personnel to all the schools in the state in order to ensure the security and safety of the students and their staffers.

The Minister disclosed that the Federal Government has stepped up efforts to rescue the girls and return them safely to their parents, saying the security agencies are working on many leads regarding the
whereabouts of the girls.

”This is the second time in four days that a Federal Government delegation would visit Yobe State since the unfortunate incident. This is a measure of the seriousness with which we are addressing the issue. The security forces are leaving no stone unturned in their search for the girls.

”We are back here in Yobe as part of efforts to provide some succour to the parents of the girls, to let them know that they are not alone and also to reassure them that we will not rest until we have found the girls. We will carry the parents along on the efforts we are making,” he said.

For his part, the Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulrahman Danbazau said the delegation embarked on the trip in order to get the facts right ”so that the approach to the solution can be correct”.

”We must get back the girls and also ensure that this does not happen again,” he said.

The Federal Government delegation, which comprised the Ministers of Information and Culture as well as that of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retired), held an enlarged meeting that was attended by Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State; members of the state cabinet, the Principal and Vice Principal of the school representatives of the parents of the missing girls and security agencies, among others.

Ad

Unlocking Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea during UNGA80
X whatsapp