Escapee Chibok school girls arriving the Presidential Villa.
Escapee Chibok girls inside the Presidential Villa
(Finally,Jonathan meets the girls)
By Danlami Nmodu
(Updated with pictures)Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has finally met with 51 Chibok school girls at the Presidential Villa ,Abuja.Also at the meeting were parents of the Chibok school girls.
The 51 girls who met with the president were those who on their own escaped from Boko Haram captors ago.Over 200 girls are still in Boko Haram captivity 99 days after the abduction.
Officials also at Tuesday’s meeting included the Senate President David Mark,Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima as well as Bauchi state governor ,Isa Yuguda ,Ministers of Education and Finance,Ibrahim Shekarau and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala respectively among others.
The meeting with the escapee girls and their parents was stalled last week .The presidency blamed the #BringBackOurGirls camapigners for the failure of the meeting to hold,but the group denied ever interfering with it.The presidency eventually rescheduled the meeting for today
Pakistani child-rights activist Malala Yusafzai who eas in Nigeria last week announced that President Jonathan had during a meeting with her promised to meet the parents of the girls along with the escapees.She also called for urgent efforts to free the Chibok girls from Boko Haram.
Director General of Nigeria’s State Security Service ,SSS,Mr Ita Ekpenyong reiterated the fact that government knows where the girls are being held.He said on Monday the regime was doing everying possible to ensure the girls do not come into harm’s way.
