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The British Minister for Africa, Mr Tobias Ellwood has assures Nigeria of Britain’s continued support for the rescue of the Chibok school girls abducted in April 2014.
Mr Ellwood gave the assurance in Abuja after a closed door meeting with members of the Bring Back Our Girls group at the United Kingdom’s High Commission.
According to him, he will be having another meeting with Nigeria’s Vice President, President Yemi Osinbajo to discuss the release of the Chibok school girls.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Bring Back Our Girls group, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, has said the group will continue to seek international support for the rescue of the girls.
Prisoners’ Swap Request
Britain’s assurance is coming days after Boko Haram released a video of the girls in their custody, demanding for prisoners’ swap to release them.
Over 200 girls preparing for their final year examination in Chibok secondary school in Borno State were taken from their school’s dormitory.
After the Boko Haram released the video, parents of some of the girls asked the Federal Government to swap suspected members of Boko Haram terrorist group held at different detention facilities with the girls, as requested.
The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, thereafter renewed his commitment to rescuing the Chibok girls, saying the government will not give up in the search.
In tweet on his Twitter handle, President Buhari paid glowing tributes to the military for their efforts in the war against insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast.
I reiterated it in Nairobi, that we want our Chibok girls safe, we want them out. We're doing all we can to reunite them with their families
The President also said he was willing to swap Boko Haram prisoners for the Chibok girls.
But that is on condition that they are able to list those they want released and then come out to discuss with the Federal Government.
He says the Federal Government will want the girls out safe without any harm done to them.
Recently, the Bring Back Our Girls campaigners had called on the President to accept the swap of the Boko Haram prisoners for the Chibok girls who were kidnapped in Borno State two years ago.
At a bilateral meeting with the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon,on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting held in New York few days ago, President Buhari said Nigeria would welcome intermediaries from the United Nations as a show of commitment, to swapping the abducted Chibok girls with Boko Haram fighters in custody.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that”the challenge is in getting credible and bona fide leadership of Boko Haram to discuss with”.
“The split in the insurgent group is not helping matters. Government had reached out, ready to negotiate, but it became difficult to identify credible leaders. We will welcome intermediaries such as UN outfits, to step in.”
The President reiterated that the teachings of Boko Haram were far from being Islamic, as neither Islam, nor any other religion, advocates hurting the weak and innocent.
“The fact that they kill men, women, children, and other people wantonly, and shout Allahu Akbar (God is great) shows that they do not know that Allah at all. If they did, they would not shed innocent blood,” President Buhari said.
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