FG: Released Dapchi schoolgirls will undergo medical test

The students of Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe state, who were released after over a month in Boko Haram captivity are undergoing medical test, according to Lai Mohammed, minister of information.

The minister said this while speaking with reporters at the weekly federal executive council meeting in Abuja.

He said after their captors returned them to the town, the girls were taken to a hospital in Dapchi.

“As I speak to you now, they are in General Hospital in Dapchi and I’m aware that the counsellors are there with them. Just as we did when we had the first set and second set of the Chibok girls were released, they will be quarantined and by psychologically counselled before they go back to their schools,” he said.

Asked about the measures taken to secure the school if the girls return, he said: “If you remember, immediately this thing happened, Mr President actually 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, 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 is even efforts on parts of government to even merge some schools, schools that are far-flung.

Khadijah Bukar-Abba Ibrahim, minister of state for foreign affairs, who hails from Yobe, express delight over the  release.

“I’m very excited today. I’m exhilarated, I’m happy, you just describe anything today, that is what I feel because the Dapchi girls have been released. We are very very happy. We have achieved what we had gone out to achieve and we thank the Almighty God for His mercies,” she said.

Asked to react to the report that some of the girls have died, she said, “As far as I know now they are taking a roll call. So, we cannot ascertain how many have passed on or whatever. We will find out much later on what the casualties are.”

She appealed to parents not to allow the incident discourage them from sending their children to school.

Mansur Dan Ali, minister of defence, also spoke on the release of the girls.

“Basically, I want to speak on the impression that people had that we cannot get the girls released. If you can remember the last interview I had with Channels Television, I said in two weeks, two months or less we are going to get the girls released and this has happened,” he said.

“So, this is as a result of the efforts of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He has been giving us the support and the output is showing now.”

On the negotiations that led to the release, he said, “I did say even if you are going for negotiations if you are not doing so from the point of strength then you cannot make it.”

Editor’s note: This picture was used for illustrative purposes only.