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Information Minister, Lai Mohammed has confirmed that the number abducted school girls from the Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) Dapchi, who have now been released is 101.
Mohammed had earlier said government would continue to update the figures, according to him, “especially because the girls were not handed over to anyone but dropped off in Dapchi.”
But Mohammed who was one of the ministers dispatched to Yobe State by President Buhari, disclosed this at the airport on the way to Maiduguri.
BusinessDay gathered that plans were on to move the girls to Abuja later today and that they would be meeting with the President, thereafter.
The Federal Government delegation will meet the girls in Maiduguri before they are moved to Abuja.
The girls have been moved to the Dapchi General Hospital in Dapchi, where they are expected to meet with counsellors specifically selected by the government.
He further disclosed that the girls who were released voluntarily by their captors in Dapchi, are in good health, adding that they are being documented.
According to Mohammed, the release was the result of what he described as “backchannel efforts”, resulting from negotiations.
He said “no ransoms were paid.”
” For the release to work, the government had a clear understanding that violence and confrontation would not be the way out, as it could endanger the lives of the girls, hence a non-violent approach was the preferred option.”
Speaking further on what government is doing to prevent future occurrences, Mohammed said the President has beefed up security and directed the security agencies, especially the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, to man every school.
“But you see, we must look at this thing in context, if you look at other countries like the US, in Florida you saw how gunmen entered the school and killed about 17 pupils. Insurgency all over the world is a global issue and the government must always be on its toes.
“One of the things we have done today, is that we have tried to secure the schools and there are even efforts on the part of government to merge some schools.”
Tony Ailemen. Abuja
