The Federal Government on Wednesday reiterated its commitment to secure the release of the remaining abducted Chibok girls.
The Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, stated this when he received a delegation of girl child rights advocates from various schools in Abuja at the Presidential Villa to mark the International Day of the Girl Child.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said by securing the release of the remaining girls, the government would be sending a clear message to the rest of the world that such criminal acts of abduction would not be condoned in the country.
He said, “We want to be able to challenge men and women all over the world about this sort of behaviour, and this is one of the reasons why we are advocating that this kind of conduct must be met with the greatest possible objection and force.
“It is very important for us that those girls are returned; anyone who has a friend or child or anyone among the girls recognises that girls are more vulnerable than men, especially when they have been abducted by men stronger and older than themselves, and held in captivity for so long.
“We shouldn’t accept it. We should condemn it for the cowardly and wrongful act that it is, and do our best to give succour to the ladies who have suffered this particular injustice.”
Osinbajo said the Federal Government was working hard to ensure that all the remaining abducted Chibok girls are released and returned home safely to their parents.
“We’ve had the unfortunate experience of having over 200 Chibok girls that were abducted. Again, as you know, some of them have been rescued; they have returned and are back home.
“But there are still some who are still out there, who we are still hoping and working every day to bring back home,” he added.
He further said the released Chibok girls are currently studying in the university.
“We are happy to report that they are all doing very well, they are very excited about the new opportunities that they have and they are starting their lives afresh with a great deal of enthusiasm,” he said.
