Chibok girls: Army withdraws release claim

The continuing despair of Nigerians arising from the abduction of 219 secondary school students in Chibok, Borno State stretched to the 162nd day, today, after a nationwide flash of excitement on the release of some of the girls from the captivity of the Islamic Boko Haram sect.

Defence spokesman, Gen. Chris Olukolade had told the online newspaper, Premium Times that an undeclared number of the captured girls had been released and driven in two Hiace buses to Maimalari Barracks, the headquarters of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army.

The news was quickly followed by excitement around the country and especially in the camp of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) advocacy group championed by former minister of education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, Mrs. Mariam Uwais and civil rights activist, Hadiza Bala Usman.

Mrs. Ezekwesili who was all tensed up by the news told Vanguard yesterday that she was very excited with the news but expressed some caution as she said she was waiting for evidence before a formal reaction.

“We are also in a waiting mood but there is no evidence yet, so we must wait for the evidence.”

However, the news was dashed barely two hours later when the Ministry of Defence in a tweet in its official handle, refuted the story saying:

“The Story circulating in respect of release of the #Chibok girls is untrue. Buses drove into the barracks but conveyed other individuals.”

Ezekwesili in a response also tweeted: “Once again, our HOPE is dashed. The @DefenceInfoNG says rumor not true that OUR #ChibokGirls were rescued. It is HEART BREAKING. Speechless.”

It was learnt yesterday that the girls who were driven into the barracks were some of the girls who earlier escaped from the captivity of the Islamic sect last April who were being escorted to new secondary schools outside Borno State to continue their education.

Yesterday would be the second time that a false report on the release of the Chibok girls would be made with some seeming official sanction.

Days after the girls were abducted by the Islamic sect last April, the Ministry of Defence had claimed that most of the more than 280 girls abducted had been released. The ministry was to subsequently retract the assertion.

EARLIER REPORT

According to reports, a number of the Chibok girls who were kidnapped from Borno state on April 14, 2014 have been released.

A top military source confirmed to Premium Times that two buses filled with the released girls were driven into the Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri today, September 23, 2014.

The girls’ release is also said to have been confirmed by the spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, Chris Olukolade.

Olukolade reportedly stated that the exercise is still ongoing and an official statement would soon be released.