Again, Nigerian govt vows to rescue Leah Sharibu, 96 Chibok girls

The Federal Government on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to the ongoing efforts to rescue Leah Sharibu, and the 96 remaining students of the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.

Sharibu is one of the 110 students of Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State, kidnapped by terrorists in 2018.

She is the only victim held back by the terrorists.

There were insinuations that the girl was kept in captivity by the insurgents because of her Christian faith

Boko Haram insurgents abducted 276 girls from the Chibok college on April 14, 2014.

The terrorists had released 180 students in batches while 96 are still in captivity.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, gave the assurance while addressing journalists on the achievements in the last seven years in Abuja.

READ ALSO: Army rescues two more Chibok girls from Borno forest, 99 kidnapped victims

Tallen dismissed rumours that the girls had been abandoned, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government was determined to rescue the girls before the expiration of its tenure on May 29, 2023.

The government had repeatedly assured Nigerians of its determination to rescue the girls and reunite them with their families.

The minister said: “We coordinated strategic interventions geared towards bringing succour to the families of the girls, as well as effectively support programmes aimed at reintegrating them.

“From the 2017 to 2019 Academic Session, 106 were placed in a special Foundation programme of the American University by the 2020/2021 Academic Session, the number of girls was reduced to 89 as 8 of them withdrew from the programme for various personal reasons.

“As of the 2021/2022 Academic Session, the number further dropped to 79 as some of them opted out to get married. All of the 79 girls have been enrolled as undergraduates at the American University.”

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