By Adetutu Folasade-Koyi
Ten days to the third year of Boko Haram’s abduction of over 200 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group has kicked against President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged ‘silence’ on a letter forwarded to him, requesting release of the remaining 195 girls.
On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram abducted over 219 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Chibok. Over the years, some of the girls either escaped or were released in batches by the insurgents.
Last year, after some international bodies facilitated negotiation with the terrorists, on behalf of the Federal Government, 21 of the girls were released.
The girls were picked up by military helicopter from Banki area of Borno, where Boko Haram militants dropped them off
The Associated Press reported that a “handsome ransom” – in millions of dollars – was paid by the Swiss Government, on behalf of the federal government, in addition to prisoner-swap.
However, Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, denied any prisoner swap. “There was no exchange of any kind,” he said.
Regardless, BBOG has demanded answers as to why the 21 Chibok girls freed last year are still in government custody, instead of being reunited with their families.
In a statement issued by the group, in Abuja, yesterday, BBOG drew the attention of Nigerians to the silence of the federal government towards a letter highlighting the group’s key observations and suggestions on how to secure the return of the remaining 195 Chibok schoolgirls still in Boko Haram captivity.
It claimed, the letter was delivered to the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, with copies sent to the Osinbajo, Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, following a guided tour of Sambisa forest in January by some of its members. BBOG claims it has not received any reply from government.
It said the ‘silence’ that has greeted the letter was in ‘stark contrast’ to the fanfare with which the government extended the invitation to its members, to tour Sambia, the infamous stronghold of Boko Haram.
“Concluding on the basis of facts and evidence obtained from the Sambisa tour, we conveyed a more pointed demand on the federal government-led by President Muhammadu Buhari to negotiate and bring back our remaining 195 Chibok girls.
“Since our letter was sent to the Federal Government over two months ago, our Movement has not received a reply from the federal government.
“We consider it grossly objectionable that the federal government chose to be unresponsive to a letter that was addressed and delivered to the minister of Information as well as copied and sent to the vice president, the chief of staff of the president and the minister of Defence…”