Ambode says Chibok girls will be rescued alive

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has expressed optimism that the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted on April 14, 2014, will be rescued and reunited with their loved ones.

The governor spoke when members of the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign Group, under the auspices of the Women for Justice, staged a protest to the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.

He told the protesters that like many Nigerians, he was pained that the girls were still missing 500 days after they were abducted. He urged everybody to continue to pray for the girls to return home safely.

He said, “As a parent, I empathise with the parents of the abducted girls and understand how they feel. I can only add my voice to that of millions of Nigerians and our friends from the international community that the girls will come back home soon.”

Ambode commended the organisers of the protest for their initiative to engage in the rally to remind Nigerians and keep hope alive for the missing girls.

He assured them that his administration aligned with President Muhammadu Buhari`s pledge to do all within his capacity to ensure that the girls were rescued alive.

He said, “I appreciate the initiative of the organisers to fight for the missing girls. I want to say categorically that my administration strongly believes in the pledge of President Buhari that the girls would come back alive.

“Most of us were very concerned and pained when the girls were declared missing and we were more disturbed about the reaction of the then President, Goodluck Jonathan, which was globally condemned as inadequate.

“We thank God that President Buhari has vowed to bring back our girls.”

Earlier, the Coordinator of the group in Lagos, Ms Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, in her address, read by Dr. Abiola Akiode, recalled that about 276 female students of the Government School, Chibok in Borno State were abducted by Boko Haram.

She added that while 57 of them managed to escape on their own, 219 others remained in captivity.

“The Chibok girls are not the only victims of the insurgency in the northeast, but because we know their names, their pictures and parents, we will continue to use them as symbol for the ongoing crisis in the country.

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Punch News