Soldiers have successfully rescued about 111 girls, students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Dapchi, who were abducted on Monday by suspected members of the outlawed Boko Haram. They were said to have been today, Wednesday at Jilli-Muwarti, a border village between Gaidam in Yobe state and Borno State.
The rescued students are said to be on their way to Gaidam in Yobe state for medical check-up before proceeding to Damaturu, the state capital.
The girls were abducted when suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked the school after which 111 schoolgirls were declared missing.
The Yobe Police Commissioner, Abdulmaliki Sumonu, had confirmed that 111 schoolgirls were unaccounted for following Monday’s attack.
This was even as the Yobe State government said that it was only 50 out of 926 Dapchi schoolgirls that have not reported back to school, doubting whether any of the girls had been abducted by the attackers.
The Director General on press affairs to the governor, Abdullahi Bego, had said in Damaturu:
“the Yobe State Government is working with the Nigerian Army and other security and law enforcement agencies to ensure that all students in the school are fully accounted for.
“As the public is aware, the students were helped by their teachers to escape through the night to the surrounding bush and villages as the terrorists stormed the town last Monday.
“Out of the 926 students in the school, over 50 are still unaccounted for as of the time of this statement.
“However, the Yobe State Government has continued to receive information about some of the girls being found in the general area to which they escaped.
“The State Government is coordinating with the army and law enforcement agencies to ensure that those girls are returned safely.
“The Yobe State Government has no credible information yet as to whether any of the schoolgirls was taken hostage by the terrorists.
The statement said Gov Ibrahim Gaidam was saddened and outraged by the unfortunate event.
“The governor has directed that all relevant personnel and agencies work closely with the army and other security organizations to address the situation.
The State Government assures parents and the school community that it will do everything necessary to ensure that all the missing girls are found and returned to their school and families.”
Source: Daily Trust. [myad]
