By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
IN a devastating revelation, Borno State Government has disclaimed allegations that19 abducted Chibok girls released to them for their education have not been reunited with Boko Haram, as speculated in some media reporrs.
Some top government officials who spoke to Daybreak in confidence, revealed that some of the 14 Chibok girls came with their children and their Boko Haram husbands to the Second Chance Rehabilitation Centre built by the Borno state government.
The government officials were reacting to allegations that 19 Chibok girls that came out of captivity, and released to Borno State government 2 years ago.
They also alleged that the Chibok girls’ parents have expressed surprised over the development when found out that the girls were truly reunited with their captor husbands.
The officials who pleaded anonymity said “There’s misinformation about the whole program in the whole contest. I don’t have details of the exact program, all I know is that the girls were enroll in the second chance skill acquisition center where they’ll acquire knowledge and skills to sustain themselves”.
“Initially the over 100 girls rescued were supposed to be taken over by federal government for free education but with the change of government things did not go as planned so Borno state government decided that it should enroll them in school they can acquire skill.
“They are no longer little girls because they came back with children and cannot cope with conventional secondary schools anymore.
“So they enrolled them into second chance acquisition centre built by Borno state government purposely for elderly women, for skill and literacy in skills that’ll make them meaningful in society. Actually 20 of them were enrolled. They went back to their parent in Chibok recently during holiday and promised to come back.
“Some of them came together with their husband. Government did not give then any husband. Some of them came with their husband’s from the bush. You know they were not rescued at the same time, some by military or freely”, the officials said.
On whether the girls went to their family with their imposed husband from the bush? An official said “i don’t know, they’re still at the skill centre learning”.
The officials further explained that “They are on various programs. Some are in second chance school, some decided to go back to their parents.
All effort to speak to speak with some of the girls proved abortive, however In an elaborate interview, an active and front line citizen popularly known and as Coordinator Bring Back Our Girls, Dr. Allen Manassah, said he know that 14 of chibok girls that escaped from captivity went back and are still in government custody but has not spoken with their parent.
Dr. Allen Manasseh, also the Director of Media and Communication of the Kibaku (Chibok) Area Development Association (KADA), added that the recent report he read from the media was that the Governor refused to release them to their parents and kept them in their custody.
“I don’t have any records of any 19 girls. What I know and what l heard from the media about their parents which i think is normal is that 18 girls escaped between 2021 and 2022, and four of them did not return back to the government when they were asked to return back to where they were keeping them.
“Only 14 went back and the 14 are still in government custody. I’ve not spoken with their parent.
“But recent report i red from the media is that the Governor refused to release them to their parent and kept them together with the so called bandits, the same terrorists that are acclaimed to be their husband”, he said.
He noted thst the government of Borno state especially professor Zulum don’t have the right to keep girls that were abducted from school, away from home for over 10 years or so now.
“So whether they want to go to school or they don’t want to go to school, that decision should be left to them and their parents, and not the government.
“So keeping them in one facility even if you are keeping them in Aso Villa or in Transcop, that is not where they want be. It is no different from staying in the terrorists den that they escaped. So the girls must be released to their parent, the girl should be released to any organization that want to help them in which ever way.
“Some want to develop them, develop their capacity to go into what they are going to earn a living from, since their life and educations have been truncated, for 10 year. Those that want to go back to school, can still go back to school.
“I’ve put my life on hold for 10 year, and i have been insulted, I have been, you know, called different names, people are even thinking as if that we are getting paid for it. Who is paying anybody for advocacy.
“So I am tired of speaking and speaking, engaging the police, all the security agencies, military, the defence chief, you know service Chief, the President.
“I have engaged Goodluck, Buhari, and have also engaged Tinubu government on what they need to do to end terrorism and rescue all the people that are abdicated, not just the Chibok girls.
