Following reports that 105 of abducted girls of the Government Girls Science and Technical College have been released by Boko Haram terrorists, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed “extreme delight” and taken a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the failure of its administration to achieve the same feat when it was in power and Chobok girls were abducted four years ago.
The gloating by the APC in a statement by its spokesman is coming as the Presideny confirmed the release of the girls.
The Presidency said in a tweet: “Details about the released Dapchi girls will be made available in due course. The girls are now in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), in Dapchi. The DSS will be briefing the President and the nation in the course of the day.”
The APC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi, said in its statement: “The prompt release of the Dapchi schoolgirls is another solid demonstration of the political will of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration to secure the lives of all Nigerians.
“With this prompt release of the Dapchi girls, the APC government has demonstrated how government should respond to such situations. If the immediate-past Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration had responded with the similar alacrity, the Chibok schoolgirls would have been released or rescued. Instead, the PDP wasted several weeks wallowing in denial and conspiracy theories such that it was now left for the APC government to rescue many of the girls and rehabilitate them.
“We assure Nigerians that the current administration remains committed to securing the release of the remaining Chibok schoolgirl still held in captivity by Boko Haram and ultimately rehabilitate and reunite them with their families and loved ones.”
Recall that on Tuesday, a spat broke out between Amnesty International and the Defence Headquarters over the ease with which 110 of the girls were abducted, despite the fact that the Army and Police were made aware of the incoming terrorists.
In its report, Sahara Reporters, disclosed how the girls were released. It wrote on its website: “Nigerian Islamist militant group, Boko Haram today returned 105 girls kidnapped from a high school compound in Dapchi a few weeks ago. Sources tell Saharareporters that the militant group came with the girls in 9 vehicles same way they took them away.
“There was confusion in the area as members of the community scampered into the bush as the terror group appeared in the area, first dropping off one the girls in a nearby village and then driving into the center of Dapchi town to drop off the rest of the girls. Five of the girls are dead according to our source. It is not clear if the Nigerian government paid any ransom to get the girls released.”