Presidential Committee On Chibok Schoolgirls Reveal Number Of Girls Still Missing

The presidential fact-finding committee on the abduction of the school girls in Chibok, Borno State on Friday submitted their report to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Photo of president Jonathan and the abducted girls

The report of the committee led by Brigadier-General Ibrahim Sabo confirmed that the actual number of girls abducted was 276, out of which 219 are still missing as about 57 of them had escaped and had since been reunited with their family.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the Chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Sabo disclosed this when the committee submitted its report to Jonathan at the presidential villa, Abuja while also urging the president to treat the said report with utmost confidentiality.

Mr. Sabo also explained that the committee interacted with four of the girls who escaped from their abductors though they were hesitant to discuss the full details of their experience out of fear of a possible reprisals from the insurgents.

According to him, the committee received the full cooperation of the people and interacted with different stakeholders considered relevant to the fact finding mandate but with an exception of a senator from Borno, who after agreeing to an appointment with the Committee, turned around to avoid the meeting by making excuses.

Sabo, however said, this did not affect the outcome of the committee’s findings.

The committee therefore, advised that the report be treated with utmost confidentiality so as not to jeopardise the on-going rescue efforts and also the possibility of compromising national security matters, while adding that this did not preclude government from releasing information that may be useful for a better public understanding of issues surrounding the abduction saga.

In his response, President Jonathan promised that the report would not be shelved, while also charging owners of boarding schools in the country, especially those in the North East, to provide at least some basic security for their students.

Following the abduction of over 200 girls from their school in Chibok, Borno state by Boko Haram members on April 14, Jonathan had set up a fact finding committee on May 2 to gather information surrounding the abduction and to ascertain the exact number of students abducted amongst other terms of references.

Source: Legit.ng