Freed Chibok Girls Named, 197 Still in Captivity • FG Declares Victory

Matilda Omonaiye/

Names of 21 schoolgirls who regained freedom from Boko Haram sect yesterday, after 2 years and six months in captivity have been revealed.

Spokesman for the Vice President, Laolu Akande listed the names as Mary Usman Bulama, Jummai John, Blessing Abana, Luggwa Sanda, Comfort Habila, Maryam Basheer, Comfort Amos, Glory Mainta, Saratu Emmanuel, Deborah Ja’afaru and her baby Bukar Amos.

Others are Rahab Ibrahim, Helen Musa, Maryamu Lawan, Rebecca Ibrahim, Asabe Goni, Deborah Andrawus, Agnes Gapani, Saratu Markus, Glory Dama, Pindah Nuhu and Rebecca Mallam.

While fielding questions on a Channels TV programme, Sunrise Daily early this morning, the Senior Special Adviser on Media to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina disclosed that the Federal Government is working towards the release of the remaining official figure of 197 girls in captivity.

Government will do all that is necessary to rehabilitate the girls and get them integrated into the society

The Boko Haram militants had seized 276 students of Government Secondary School in a midnight raid of their hostel at Chibok town, Borno State, on April 14, 2014.

Fifty-Seven of the students had previously escaped, according to international human rights groups, while another one identified as Amina Ali Nkeki was found, in May 2016, on the outskirts of Sambisa Forest.

“Government will do all that is necessary to rehabilitate the girls and get them integrated into the society,” Adesina said, as he appealed to public spirited people and NGOs to contribute to the rehabilitation of the girls.

On the insurgency, he said: “The war has actually ended. We are in the mopping up process… The mopping up process of a war is often as crucial, if not more crucial than the shooting aspect.

“Boko Haram once held territories in 14 local government areas, where they planted their flags. They seized Emirs palaces and sat on Emirs stools while administering those territories. Do you have that in any part of the country now? They used to attack army and police formations, schools and different kinds of targets. They don’t do that anymore, because their capacity to do that has been highly degraded. Now, they do sneak attacks, and it’s few and far between compared to what used to happen.”

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