The Federal Government, for the first time, released details of its efforts to secure the release of Chibok girls, who were abducted by the Boko Haram sect on April 14, 2014.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, said President Muhammadu Buhari, on assumption of office, directed security agencies to locate and ensure safe rescue of the girls.
He said that the Department of State Services on July 17, 2015 opened negotiations with the sect, which demanded the release of its bomb makers and fighters involved in major terrorist activities in the country.
Mohammed stated that the division in the sect stalled government’s efforts to rescue the girls.
The minister, however, assured Nigerians that the government is committed to the release of the girls.
He stated, “Officers and men have sacrificed their time and energy, and some have already paid the supreme price since the abduction of the Chibok girls, fighting for the safe release of the girls.
“Many friendly countries and organisations have equally been very forthcoming in providing their human and technological resources to assist in the process. They are still doing so. We cannot, as a nation, ignore these sacrifices.
“The government and its security agencies remain committed to ensuring that the Chibok girls are safely released in fulfilment of the presidential mandate.
“Let me emphasise that government appreciates the resilience of Nigerians in the fight against insurgency and terrorism, and will continue to call on fellow Nigerians to hold that much is ahead and therefore support Mr. President’s resolve on this matter.”
