Fulfill 2015 promise, rescue remaining Chibok girls – Parents write Buhari

Parents of the abducted Chibok girls and other members of the Chibok community have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue the remaining girls in captivity.

This was contained in a New Year open letter to the President signed by Yana Galang and Zanna Lawan.

The memo reminded Buhari of his promise to ensure the release of the captives kidnapped nearly nine years ago.

In April 2014, 276 female students of the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, were taken by Boko Haram.

A total of 180 were found at different times – some with kids – while 96 are still missing.

The parents recalled President Buhari’s words during his inaugural speech on May 29, 2015, when he said: “But we cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents, this government will do all it can to rescue them alive.”

They also reminded him of his vow on April 14, 2019, five years after the abduction, that made headlines globally, when he said: “We will not rest until all the remaining girls are back and reunited with their families. I made this promise when I became president, and I will keep it.”

The parents said months before the end of his tenure, 96 of their daughters “remain in Boko Haram captivity, subjected to unimaginable ordeal and abuse at the hands of their captors.”

The community added that they hoped the eighth-year remembrance in 2022 would be the last.

“Eight years is too long for a child to be denied the love and care of her family. We demand that you make true your promise and bring joy back to our lives, as you hand over to another President,” the letter concluded.