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We’ll Secure Release Of Chibok Girls – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said his administration was ready to do everything within its reach to secure the release of the remaining girls kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014.
While saying the Federal Government had reached out to their captors through intermediaries, the President said his administration was willing to bend backwards to ensure their safe return.
Buhari made the promise in a message to mark the third anniversary of the abduction carried out by members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
The message, which he personally signed, was made available to journalists by the Presidency’s media office, yesterday.
He said his administration had had reason to celebrate the return of 24 of them and thousands of other Nigerians who were forcibly abducted by the terrorists.
He said being a parent himself, he was grateful to God that some of the girls were found alive and have been reunited with their families.
The President said, “Government is doing all within its powers to reintegrate the freed girls to normal life. Furthermore, government is in constant touch through negotiations, through local intelligence to secure the release of the remaining girls and other abducted persons, unharmed.
“My special appreciation goes to the parents and families that have endured three years of agony and waiting for the return of their children. I feel what you feel. Your children are my children.
“On this solemn occasion, my appeal is that we must not lose hope on the return of our remaining schoolgirls.
“Our intelligence and security forces, who have aptly demonstrated their competence, are very much equal to the task and absolutely committed to the efforts to find and return the schoolgirls and others abducted by Boko Haram.
“I also thank Lake Chad Basin countries, friendly nations and international partners, who at various points in the last three years have offered their support for Nigeria.
“Like I have repeatedly said, the Federal Government is willing to bend over backwards to secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls. We have reached out to their captors, through local and international intermediaries, and we are ever ready to do everything within our means to ensure the safe release of all the girls.
“I wish to reassure the parents of the Chibok girls, all well-meaning Nigerians, organisations and the international community, that as a government, we are unrelenting on the issue of the safe return of our children.
“I trust God that soon; our collective efforts will be rewarded with the safe return of our schoolgirls to their families, friends and their communities.”
Buhari described the 2014 abduction of the girls as one of the worst crimes committed against Nigeria’s citizens.
He recalled that at the inception of his administration on May 29, 2015, the militant group occupied no fewer than 14 local government areas in the North East of the country, and posed a serious threat to other parts by unleashing fear and mayhem through the use of surprise attacks and suicide bombing.
He added that the menace of the group posed a great challenge to the resolve of his administration to implement the change agenda.
Buhari said that was why he pledged to reverse the situation, which constituted a threat to the sovereignty of the country.
He said his government was determined, from the beginning, to secure the release of the Chibok girls and others forcefully abducted from their homes and communities, and retake the occupied territories.
This determination, he said, made his administration to give the necessary political and logistical backing which energised members of the armed forces and other security agencies to overrun the headquarters of Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest and scatter the terrorists from their strong base.
Having secured some level of success, the President promised that no group will hold the country to ransom under his watch.
He urged all residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements around them to security agencies.
“Today, the group has been degraded and is no longer in a position to mount any serious, coordinated attack, other than sporadic suicide attacks on soft targets.
“Even at that, their reach is very much confined to a small segment of the North East where they had previously held sway unchecked.
“Nigeria, and indeed, the entire world, must however, recognise that terrorism has no borders and remains a growing concern, which calls for collective efforts to curtail.
“I, therefore, call on all Nigerians and residents in the country, to remain extra vigilant and report any suspicious element or group to the security agencies. We cannot afford to let down our guards. Under my watch, no group will hold the country to ransom,” the President promised.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said it was working hard to reopen Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, where Boko Haram abducted 276 schools in April, 2014.
The Vice-Chairman of the Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative, Mr. Tijjani Tumsah, said yesterday, that the government was scheduling the re-opening of the college for normal academic activities in the 2017/2018 session.
Some 276 female students of GGSS, Chibok, located in Borno South Senatorial District, were abducted by members of Boko Haram on April 14, 2014, and 50 of them escaped from their abductors.
Among the remaining 219, the government negotiated the release of 21 by the sect in 2016, while three others escaped on their own.
Tumsah said all necessary security measures were being taken to avert a recurrence of the April 2014 incident.
Tumsah said the committee would implement relevant programmes that would boost education, which had suffered a setback through Boko Haram activities in the North-East.
He said the committee was contemplating suitable programmes that would help in de-radicalising the youth in keeping with the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s Plan of Action.
He said some the activities would include providing youth opportunities to acquire vocational skills as well as the adoption of steps that would address the causes of the insurgency and charting the way forward.
However, members of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group, yesterday, embarked on a protest over the remaining schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram three years ago and are yet to be released.
The protesters were seen marching on the streets of Lagos towards Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s office in the Ikeja area of Lagos.
It was gathered that police officers barricaded the roads, preventing the protesters from getting close to the governor’s office.
It would be recalled that on April 14, 2014, Boko Haram insurgents invaded Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State, and abducted over 200 girls.
The General Overseer of Firstlove Assembly and renowned preacher, Senior Pastor Simeon Afolabi, has highlighted the significance of thanksgiving, saying it remains one of the best ways to show gratitude to God, and also one of the ways to please God Almighty.
Pastor Afolabi gave the indication as the guest preacher at the annual thanksgiving celebration of Holy Hills Church in Port Harcourt last Saturday.
The 2025 Holy Hills Church annual thanksgiving, tagged, “Thanksgiving of God’s Mercies”, witnessed the gathering of christian faithful to celebrate God’s unwavering love and mercies despite insurmountable challenges.
The General Overseer said the essence of thanking God cannot be over-emphasised, considering the good things He is doing for mankind.
The renowned man of God said one of the ways to please God is not to take His act for granted but to thank Him for everything He has done.
He urged churches to endeavour to make thanksgiving their priority so as to attract more blessings from God.
Pastor Afolabi noted that gratitude is a way of God, hence, “it behooves us to do it every moment of the day,” and opined that the Holy Hills Church was on the right track by recognising God’s mercy and kindness through thanksgiving.
In his remarks, the General Overseer of Holy Hills Church and Chief Host, Pastor Sunny Ikonwa said the aim of the annual thanks- giving celebration was to thank God for His mercy, saying, the annual event which is like Christ Mass to his members could best be described as God’s faithfulness upon their lives.
He said the annuall meeting remains God’s project which the church attaches great importance to and ensures its success every year.
He noted that the church under him will continue to sensitise people and preach to them on the way of peace.
The cleric recalled that the church that started under a palm tree has made tremendous improvement by God’s grace.
Pastor Ikonwa said his mission which is doing what pleases his Maker remains his watchword.
The Holy Hills Church pastor said the mercy of God has been able to sustain his people, saying, the prayer of a Christian goes a long way to rekindle the heart of God, stressing that it is for this singular reason that the church had come in His presence with something measurable to it, as a way of showing appreciation.
According to him, anything big starts small just as his church has done.
He said to the glory of God, today, the church has been growing in His direction.
He, therefore, admonished Christians to have hope and faith in God in the face difficulties, urging the government to always put the interest of the people first, as it has everything it takes to make life meaningful for the citizenry.
Pastor Ikonwa noted that government should be able to implement policies geared towards bettering the lives of the people.
The climax of the programme was the cutting of the thanksgiving cake by the General Overseer and his wife .Various organs of the church also made special presentations to God.
The Nigeria Police Force has indicted the dreaded group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over the killing of two police officers, and injuring of one civilian who was rushed to the hospital after sustaining bullet wounds in a coordinated attack in Imo State on June 11, 2024.
The State Police Command, had in a press release accused the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) of being responsible for the killing of the two police officers and injuring of a civilian at Akabo community in Ikeduru Council Area of Imo State.
According to the police, the incident was perpetrated in the early hours of the day by the hoodlums. They attacked one Christian Ama Chukwu in front of his shop at 79, Umudike, Umunnemoche Abazu, Akabo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, engaged them in a prolonged gun battle and ultimately repelled the attack. Unfortunately, two police personnel lost their lives in the attack. An unnamed civilian was also critically injured in the attack,and he sustained serious injuries in the course of the shootout.
Some residents who spoke with newsmen said the hoodlums were first noticed alighting from their vehicles and harassing residents for not participating in the seat-in or seat-at-home protests. They said the situation got out of control when they opened fire on an approaching police vehicle.
Another eye witness, IfechukwuOpara, said the gunmen then moved around the village in the community,shooting sporadically to aid their escape. “They were driving around the community in a reckless manner while shooting in the air to scare people away before they finally left”, he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Imo State Police Command, DSP Henry Okoye had confirmed the incident.
He described it as “a senseless, unwarranted and unprovoked act of violence which must not go unsolved.”
According to him, the police would not leave any stone unturned in the quest to arrest and prosecute the criminals.
Subsequently, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, had mobilised a Police Tactical Squad of the Command to track down the killers, and said, “As I am talking to you now, an intense operation is currently going on in Ikeduru Local Government Area with a view to apprehending the hoodlums responsible for the attack.”
DSP Okoye noted that killings were another painful and stark reminder of the sacrifices police officers make in the commitment to secure the country.
As the Ogoni cleanup programme being implemented by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) continues to record significant milestones across thematic areas, the Federal Government says such gestures further demonstrate President Bola Tinubu’s commitment under the Renewed Hope Agenda to environmental sustainability and ensuring the Project brings benefits to Ogoni people.
The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, who made this assertion during the commissioning of the Bane and Gwara water schemes in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, in line with HYPREP’s mandate to provide potable water to Ogoniland, said the provision of potable water is a critical step towards improving public health, reducing waterborne diseases and enhancing the overall quality of life.
The latest commissioning brings the water stations to 16, providing access to potable water to 45 Ogoni communities , a development the Minister explains as part of President Tinubu’s commitment to peace ,environmental justice and socio-economic empowerment in Ogoniland, a beacon of hope for communities long affected by environmental degradation.
Lawal noted that the latest commissioning is restoring hope and dignity to the communities long deprived of this essential resource .
‘’The provision of potable water is a critical step towards improving public health, reducing waterborne diseases and enhancing the overall quality of life. It also signifies a renewed commitment to ensuring that the people of Ogoniland reap the full benefits of environmental remediation efforts.We
will continue to ensure that communities in Ogoniland have access to clean, safe and sustainable drinking water. With this initiative, we are not just commissioning infrastructure but restoring hope and dignity to the communities long deprived of this essential resource”, he said.
While commending the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, development partners, stakeholders and traditional rulers, among others for their relentless commitment towards the actualisation of these projects, he urged communities to protect and take ownership of the projects, emphasising that their longevity and effectiveness depend on their collective efforts of maintaining and protecting them for posterity.
In his speech at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey maintained that the Project remains resolute in its resolve to ensure that it completes and delivers all projects initiated within the time frame for the use and benefit of Ogoni people in line with the directives of the Governing Council and under the leadership of the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal.
To achieve this, Zabbey explained that “We
continue to work closely with community leaders, youth and women, contractors and other stakeholders to ensure solutions are identified and implementation continues smoothly.
‘’We remain guided by the principle of partnership, dialogue, transparency and accountability, knowing that sustainable progress is best achieved through collaboration and mutual understanding. That is the hallmark of HYPREP,” he said.
He appealed to the people to continue to reinforce peace and understanding, using dialogue as a vital tool for resolving disputes, especially around project sites and within communities, noting that the concurrent implementation of over 100 projects across Ogoniland reflects the seriousness and dedication of HYPREP, a momentum that must be sustained through mutual trust and collaboration.
For the Project Coordinator, the event was an ideal opportunity to provide a project status update to Ogoni people, as he excitedly announced the milestone achievements recorded so far to include environmental remediation-94 percent completion in Phase 1 of mangrove restoration; shoreline at 67.1percent; Phase 2 land remediation at 36.55 percent; potable water-14 completed water facilities inaugurated, supplying potable water to 40 Ogoni communities, while the commissioning of the Bane and Gwara water facilities last Saturday increased the number of communities with access to clean and safe water to 45.
Other milestones are the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) at 92 percent complete and the processes of operationalising the Centre has begun with the just concluded colloquium, while the Ogoni Power Project is progressing steadily with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakara substations ongoing. The Ogoni Specialist Hospital is at 76.8 percent with 98.7 percent achieved in the Buan Cottage Hospital. The Ogoni public study being conducted by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); over 7,000 women and youths have benefited from various employment opportunities, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up skits, among other programmes.
Zabbey further hinted of the commencement of some demand-driven skills areas this quarter, which include cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, GIS and commercial diving.
In their separate goodwill messages, the member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Dumnamene Deekor; Chairman,Great Green Wall, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe; Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ogoni Trust Fund Incorporated, Hon Emmanuel Deeyah; Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development, MrNwizug Gordon; representative of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and General Manager, Relations and Sustainable Development, MrIgoWeli; former Secretary to Rivers State Government, Chief Kenneth Kobani; and former Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Prof Roseline Konya; all commended the Minister of Environment and HYPREP for their commitment to the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Earlier, the Minister and his entourage had paid a courtesy call on Mene Bua Kenwigbara, King D.Y Barile, at his palace, where the former was conferred a chieftaincy title of MeneAnua Le Maa 1 of Ken-Khana Kingdom; and the Project Coordinator of HYPREP as Mene doo Letam 1 of Ken-Khana Kingdom.
Also decorated were the Chairman of Ogoni Trust Fund Incorporated, Hon Emmanuel Deeyah; and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Kambari.
Highpoints of the event were the formal commissioning of the Bane and Gwara water facilities by the Minister and the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr Tony Attach,represented by MrIgoWeli; the symbolic issuance of education support Items;and the visit to the Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Park for symbolic tree planting by the Minister; the Project Coordinator; BoT Chairman; Senator Abe; IgoWeli; Director General, NEASRA, Prof Innocent Barikor; and Zina Wiwa, the daughter of the legendary environmentalist; and the visit to the CEER.
In two years, the Minister of Environment, has visited Ogoniland five times to commission 16 water stations, supplying potable water to 45 Ogoni communities and ensuring that other projects get equal attention, a clear demonstration of his unflinching commitment to the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme in line with Priority 3, Deliverable 3 of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and driven under the visionary and passionate leadership of Prof NenibariniZabbey as Project Coordinator.
By: Donatus Ebi