Four More Chibok Girls Escape ‘BOKO Haram’ Captivity

The Chairman, Chibok Local Government Council, Mr Bana Lawan, said yesterday that four more of the 221 abducted students of Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS) had escaped from their abductors.
Lawan gave the information in Abuja at a one-day stakeholders meeting for validation of draft humanitarian response plan for the abducted girls.
The meeting was organised by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
He said the girls escaped on Tuesday to bring the number of girls who had escaped to 57.
Represented by the council’s Director of Personnel and Management, Mr Musa Kolo, the chairman said the girls fell ill and were released by their captors.
Lawan commended Nigerians for showing concern and support for Chibok people, saying  the support had restored the hope and aspiration of the people for the return of peace to the community.
He commended the Federal Government’s prompt intervention through the provision of relief items for the people.
He urged the Federal Government to resuscitate the facilities destroyed by the insurgents and improve security in the affected school to boost the morale of the students.
Lawan explained that boys were encouraged to attend GGSS in Chibok because of the lack of education facilities in the area, and appealed for the construction of boys’ hostels in the school.
He said the construction of the hostels would reduce the hardship faced by the students, who attended school from afar.
Lawan, who also decried the poor health facilities in the area, appealed for the deployment of medical personnel and teachers to the area.
He said the deployment of National Youth Service Corps members to the area would boost the educational and health needs of the people of Chibok.
Earlier, NEMA Director-General Alhaji, Mohammad Sani-Sidi  hadsaid the meeting was aimed at strengthening the coordination mechanism for humanitarian response in Chibok.
“While the Federal Government is working towards the safe release of the abducted girls, it is important that a sectoral response plan is prepared for their rehabilitation and reintegration back to normal life.
“The objective of the meeting is to integrate all sectoral response plans into one holistic multi-sectoral response plan to avoid duplication of efforts,’’ Sani-Sidi said.
He said NEMA and other actors had intervened in crisis occasioned by insurgency in Chibok by providing food and other items, water and medicaments for the affected people.
Also, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Dr Dauda Toure, said the organisation had mapped out a $75 million intervention plan for states affected by the state of emergency in the north-east.
According to him, the UN system in Nigeria has developed an integrated response package to address the humanitarian needs in Chibok.
He said the UN system would intervene in the areas of health, peace and conflict resolution, water and sanitation, among others.
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) on Wednesday cautioned the Federal Government against the use of force to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
This is contained in a statement signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, in Yenagoa.
It urged government to negotiate and agree to the option of prisoners swap as demanded by the abductors of the girls.
Over 200 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, were abducted by insurgents on April 14 from their school dormitories.
According to MEND’s statement, the swap deal is the only viable option for peace and ceasefire.
“From our experience, it is impossible for any forceful commando-type rescue in forests or creeks to be successful.
“The Israelis encouraging such a move should understand that Sambisa Forest is a different kettle of fish from Entebbe International Airport,’’ it said.
The statement commended the recent release of its 54 members, including an ex-militant commander, Mr Tamunotonye Kuna, at Port Harcourt Prison without trial.
It said that Kuna, who had been held since December 2010, had voluntarily submitted his weapons to the Joint Task Force (JTF) during the amnesty proclamation in the Niger Delta.
The statement, however, urged the government to consider the unconditional release of other MEND detainees held on trumped-up charges such as the Okah brothers.