New Figures Emerge For Abducted School Girls

The Borno State Police Command and the Department of State Service, DSS, on Thursday, released new figures of the school girls that were abducted by insurgents members from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. 

The security operatives said the abducted students were 276, and not 234 as earlier reported. 

The new figure is contrary to the earlier claims by parents of the victims, who said 234 of their daughters were kidnapped by insurgents. 

Lawal Tanko, the state Police Commissioner, and the Director of DSS, Ahmed Abdullahi, made this known at a joint press briefing in Maiduguri last night.

According to Tanko, the new figure was still not authentic as the actual numbers of the abducted girls could only be verified when more parents, who were yet to know the whereabouts of the daughters, lodge a complaint, adding that 530 students from Chibok and other neighbouring towns sat for the final examinations, and that 276 were abducted, while 53 others escaped.

"It is incumbent on the parents to come forward with pictures and the names of the abducted students in order for us to properly document those that escaped and those still in captivity" he said.

Tanko, who disclosed that about 530 students were writing their examinations at the Chibok school, said they had selected the community, because of the heightened insecurity in five other schools in Lassa, Ashiga Shiya, Warabe and Izge

Meanwhile, former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has called for international military assistance, such as air support, to be offered to the Nigerian government in the hunt for the abducted girls.

Nationwide protests against the abduction also took place yesterday in Borno and Kaduna states, as concerned women and activists took to the street in protests.

Source: Legit.ng