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| Chibok Girls in captivity |
As Nigeria marks 1,000th day of the abduction of over
200 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists on Sunday, President
Muhammadu Buhari assured all stakeholders that the remaining girls
will soon be reunited with their parents.
The girls were abducted by members of the Boko Haram sect
while writing their Senior School Certificate Examination in April 14, 2014.
While the military had rescued some of them, 21 others were
released last year based on a negotiation between the Federal Government and
their abductors.
In a statement on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President recommitted the Federal Government
to securing the release of the girls.
Buhari said, “We are grateful to God that on this landmark
day, we are not completely in the depths of despair, but buoyed with hope that
our daughters will yet rejoin their families and loved ones.
“Three of them have been recovered by our diligent military,
while the freedom of 21 others was secured through engagement with their
captors.
“We are hopeful that many more will still return as soon as
practicable.”
The President reiterated his pledge, pronounced many times
in the past, that government would not spare any effort to reunite the girls
with their families.
“I salute the fortitude of the distraught parents. As a
parent also, I identify with their plight.
“Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, months turned
to years, and today, it is 1,000 days.
“The tears never dry, the ache is in our hearts. But hope
remains constant, eternal, and we believe our pains will be assuaged.
“Our hopes will not be shattered, and our hearts will leap
for joy, as more and more of our daughters return. It is a goal we remain
steadfastly committed to,” the President said.
On the occasion of the 1,000 days, Buhari commended all who have been in the
vanguard for the recovery of the girls, both nationally and internationally.
“Someday soon, we will all rejoice together. Our
intelligence and security forces are unrelenting, and whatever it takes, we
remain resolute. Chibok community, Nigeria, and, indeed, the world, will yet
rise in brotherhood, to welcome our remaining girls back home. We trust God for
that eventuality,” the President stressed.
Reported by Punch
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