ICC Note: During his Democracy Day Speech, President Buhari celebrated the success his government has had in fighting Boko Haram. He however did not mention the more than 100 Chibok girls who are still in captivity, or Leah Sharibu, the only girl his government failed to free earlier this year. This is despite previous claims that he is doing everything in his power to secure their release.
05/31/2018 Nigeria (Premium Times) – President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday failed to comment on the status of his administration’s effort to rescue the Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, still in Boko Haram’s captivity.
He also did not speak on the status of the over 100 Chibok girls still with the Boko Haram over four years after they were kidnapped.
Instead, Mr Buhari chose to celebrate the ‘degradation’ of the sect.
“Today, the capacity of the insurgents has been degraded leading to the re-establishment of authority of government and the release of captives including, happily, 106 Chibok and 104 Dapchi girls, and over 16,000 other persons held by the Boko Haram,” Mr Buhari said in his Democracy Day Speech.
The Buhari administration secured the release of about 106 of the Chibok girls kidnapped from their secondary school in Chibok, Borno State in April 2014 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration. The girls were released in negotiations with the sect. However, over 100 of the about 276 originally kidnapped are still believed to be with the terrorists.
Miss Sharibu was one of the 110 girls abducted by Boko Haram from Dapchi Government Science and Technical School, Yobe State, on February 21.
…
For interviews with Nathan Johnson, ICC’s Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
