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Our girls are still missing, Yobe Governor cries out

Published

8 years ago

February 22, 2018

Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State has debunked earlier statement credited to him that 48 of the 94 female students declare missing when Boko Haram attacked Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi on Monday have been found.

He said none of the students of Government Girls Science Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe state, in captivity of suspected Boko Haram insurgents, has been rescued.

There has been tension in the area amid speculations that some of the students might have been abducted by the insurgents.

Abdumaliki Sunmonu, Yobe police commissioner, had said the police could not establish if there was a case of abduction.

The government had initially said it was not sure if any student was kidnapped but Gaidam confirmed the abduction on Wednesday night. However, he said the army had been able to secure the release some of the girls, even though he did not go into details.

One of the teachers in the school was quoted to have said a headcount was taken after the attack.

“After the roll call, 610 out the total number of 704 students have returned. We are still searching for the remaining 94 students,” he was quoted to have said.

“We cannot say [if they have been abducted], because the insurgents went into the students’ hostel, and many of these students scaled the fence and escaped into the bushes.”

But Mohammed Lamin, the state commissioner of education, disclosed that while 28 of the missing students returned on Tuesday night, 20 more returned on Wednesday morning.

But speaking when he visited community on Thursday, Gaidam told family members of the students to keep praying that the girls should be found.

Abdul Dapchi, a resident, said Gaidam lost control of the crowd immediately he made the confession.

“We were all angry. How could they have deceived us all along?” asked the young man who said two of his sisters were among the captives.