31st January, 2021
Hamza Suleiman/Maiduguri
Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), said the military has no Chibok schoolgirl in custody.
He however did not rule out the escape of some of the girls, from captivity, following clearance operations by the troops.
Irabor was reacting to news reports that some Chibok girls escaped from their Boko Haram captors, more than six years after they were kidnapped from their school.
The father of one of the girls, Ali Maiyanga, said he spoke with his daughter.
Two of Maiyanga’s daughters were among the 276 kidnapped by Boko Haram on 14 April, 2014. One of them escaped earlier and resurfaced with a baby.
Maiyanga also said last week that the second daughter was among the girls rescued from Boko Haram.
Maiyanga said his daughter informed him that she along with others were rescued by the army.
According to Emmanuel Ogebe of the U.S. Law Group, there are other escapees with the army, waiting to be identified by their parents.
However, Major General Irabor said the girls were not with the military.
“It was the desire of the military to get the Chibok girls back safely and if our operations have helped those said to have escaped, I think we are glad.” said Irabor.
“We do not have any of the Chibok girls in our custody, so if they are not with us we have nothing to confirm again”.
Irabor spoke during an interaction with mediamen in Maiduguri at the Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole.
The CDS was accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo.
He said he was in the Theatre to appraise the security situation on ground and to also get briefing from the officers on ground.