Parents of abducted Dapchi school girls in Yobe State, yesterday lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for considering the option of negotiation against use of military force to rescue the girls.
The parents, who spoke with newsmen in Damaturu said the option gave them hope for safe return of the girls.
Chairman, Parents Association of the Abducted Schoolgirls, Alhaji Bashir Manzo said “this is a welcome development and we are happy about it.
“Use of force, as the only option, will result in death of many of the girls while negotiation provides for their safe return.”
The chairman, who encouraged government to go for dialogue to hasten return of the girls, said “the fact that the insurgents provide room for negotiation gives us hope for safe return of our daughters.”
Secretary Dapchi Youth Development Association, Alhaji Baba Shehu, also described the negotiation option as a healthy development.
“Government should deploy resources at its disposal to take this advantage and ensure safe return of the girls” he said.
A father of eight of the students, Alhaji Ali Mohammed, described negotiation as the only safe option for the insurgents to release the girls, saying he was happy “government has considered this option of negotiation”.
A mother, Maryam Alkali, said every mother would appreciate the option that will bring the girls back home safely.
“Let me state without fear of contradiction that every mother of the abducted girls will now have a strong hope for reunion with these girls” she said.
Another parent, Malam Mustapha Imam, said “If government had resorted to military option alone, it may jeopardize the safety of the girls, so the option of negotiation is a welcome development.”
He, however, called on government to take strong precautionary measures in safeguarding every school in the country, especially those in the Northeast.
“Government has to invest heavily on security, especially in equipment, manpower and intelligence gathering for improved security,” Imam said.
The President, had last Monday, while receiving then US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said the Federal Government had considered the option of negotiation to rescue the abducted students.
Buhari told Tillerson that negotiations were underway, in concert with international organisations to secure the release of hundreds of school girls captured by Boko Haram terrorists.
On 19 February, 110 school girls were captured by Boko Haram in Dapchi, Yobe State. In April 2014, more than 200 girls were stolen from a school in Chibok, Borno State.
Buhari said Nigeria preferred to have the school girls back alive, and that is why it had chosen negotiation, rather than military option.
“We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive,” the President said.
He thanked America for assistance rendered in the fight against insurgency, noting that Nigerian forces are good, “but need assistance in the areas of training and equipment.”
Buhari promised that his administration would continue to do its best to secure the country, adding that he would be in Yobe State, from where Dapchi school girls were abducted, later this week “as part of my condolence and sympathy visits to areas where we have had unfortunate events.”