Rescue of remaining Chibok Girls, Leah Sharibu, a must, says Saraki

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has called for concerted efforts to rescue the remaining 112 Chibok Girls and the Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, from Boko Haram’s captivity.

Saraki said that this would require the collaboration of by governments, security agencies, religious and community leaders.

He spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja on Sunday.

The senate president said though four years had elapsed since the sad incident of the Chibok girls’ kidnap, “it must not dampen efforts being made to see the girls rescued and reunited with their families and loved ones’’.

Saraki noted with sadness the plights of the Chibok girls’ parents, whose daughters were not yet back and the anxiety they have had to endure all these while.

He called on the parents to remain steadfast as government would never relent in its efforts to see their daughters back home safely.

“As a parent, I feel the pains of these unfortunate young girls from Chibok and the latest one – Leah Sharibu – from Dapchi, their parents and the people and Governments of Borno and Yobe States over these harrowing experiences.

“However, all hope is not lost. We are all involved in this. Their return will give us joy while their continued stay in captivity will inflict us with perpetual torment of failure.

“This is no time for blame game or passing the buck.

“We must all gear up and work together to see these girls rescued within the shortest possible time.

“I believe that the last four years have given us ample time to reflect on the calamity, review our modus operandi – politically and militarily and resolve to ensure that all Nigerians are adequately protected.

“Let’s fine tune the strategies that have won us successes and discard those that have failed us,’’ Saraki said.

According to him, the goal and focus must be clear; to rescue our girls and all those in forced captivity in any part of the country, and ultimately, to restore our pride as a sovereign entity.

“This is the time for all stakeholders to retool and re-strategise to ensure that all these girls are not only rescued, but do all in our power to put a closure to all cases of kidnapping and insurgency in this land,” he said.

The president of the Senate called on all Nigerians who could help to come to the aid of the government and the security agencies on how to rescue the girls.

He also urged security agencies to keep people abreast of developments about the issue to avoid speculations and talks like the one insinuating that many of the girls might have died.