The raging crossfire be­tween the Presidency and the #BringBack­OurGirls (BBOG) campaign group took a new dimen­sion on Monday as Presi­dent Muhammadu Buhari took a swipe at the organisa­tion’s statements on the ad­ministration’s non-rescue of the missing Chibok girls.
While the group, led by former Education Minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, accused the President of failing to keep all his promises to res­cue the kidnapped 215 sec­ondary schoolgirls after four died, the Presidency accused the group of misleading Nigerians.
The President therefore appealed to officials and members of the BBOG not to relent in their support for the Federal Government’s anti-terror war and its ef­fort to free the Chibok girls and all Boko Haram terrorists.
To mark its first meeting with Buhari a year ago, the #BBOG claimed on Sunday that the President had “bro­ken all promises” he made to it about rescuing the missing Chibok girls and that the gov­ernment had been “lackadai­sical” in the rescue mission.
But the Presidency, in a statement issued on Mon­day by Buhari’s spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, coun­tered that the administration had indeed chalked up some milestones in the anti-terror war and had in the process rescued about 15,000 cap­tives from the terrorists.
The female students were kidnapped in their hostels at Government Girls Second­ary School, Chibok in Borno State by Boko Haram terror­ists on April 14, 2014.
According to Shehu, “The past year of this administra­tion has seen the Nigerian military step up the bom­bardments of the Sambisa Forest, a stronghold of the Boko Haram terrorists, lead­ing to the capture of hun­dreds of insurgents.
“Also, records from the Army showed the rescue of no fewer than 15,000 cap­tives, mostly women and children, from the terrorists from February to date.
“In addition, dozens of communities that were pre­viously under the control of the terrorists have been lib­erated, allowing thousands of previously displaced citizens to return home and resume their normal lives.
“Thousands of these women and children freed from captivity have also been reunited with their families. This huge number of rescued women and children may not be prominent names, and their disappearance may not have generated any massive media attention and cam­paign.
“However, their liberation is just as important as that of every other missing woman and child, and a testament to the devotion of our military personnel who daily risk life and limb in the effort to bring back every Nigerian citizen kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists.”
He pointed out that the government has been fo­cused on the welfare and re­habilitation of rescued Nige­rians, many of whom were found in a state of severe mal­nutrition and illness.
Shehu declared that it was misleading for the group to infer that the abducted girls were within easy reach to be rescued by the military.
He insisted that Buhari would not play to the gallery with bogus promises that the girls would be so easily res­cued, even as he enjoined the BBOG to show assistance to the families of the victims of insurgency, both those res­cued and families of military personnel making sacrifices in the anti-terror war.
“While their intentions are honourable, perhaps the BBOG leadership has not considered the collateral damage which must inevita­bly follow its riveting and dis­piriting claim that the Presi­dent has ‘broken all promises’ allegedly made to the group on this issue.
“Or that he has been ‘lack­adaisical’ in rescuing the Chi­bok girls. The Federal Gov­ernment’s focus has always been to free the Chibok girls alive and unharmed.
“The President is con­scious always about the fact that terrorism in Nigeria is part of a global phenomenon. Since coming to office, his re­sponse to it has been firm and well considered.
“President Buhari will never make bogus prom­ises or play to the gallery. It is misleading of anyone to preach that the Chibok girls are within an easy grasp. If the military under the Pres­ident knew where they are held, they will bring the Chi­bok girls home today.
“The Presidency is open to renewed cooperation with the BBOG group, in­ternational bodies, religious groups, social workers, and all others who are assisting in the field to ensure that those who have so far been rescued from Boko Haram captivity are given the support they need to make a full recovery and be reintegrated fully into society”, he said.