President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Federal Government will not fall for the antics of fraudsters who have been asking for money to negotiate the release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
A statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said the Buhari stated this when he received the Primate and Archbishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) at the State House, Abuja.
Buhari stated that while the rescue and safe return of the remaining Chibok girls remained a top priority of his administration, federal government will not succumb to the activities of fraudsters.
According to him, his administration will continue to insist on a thorough authentication of the identities of any persons or groups claiming to have custody of the girls before entering into negotiations with them.
Buhari, however, assured the Anglican Bishops of his steadfast commitment to the rescue of the Chibok girls, saying that their safe return would be one of his greatest fulfillments in office as President.
He also assured the clerics that the federal government would give maximum attention to the clean-up of Ogoniland which was launched on Thursday.
‘‘We inherited the United Nations Environmental Project report from the previous administration.
“We decided it needed urgent attention, in spite of the economic crunch because of our concern for the welfare and environmental comfort of the people of Ogoniland’’, he said.
The statement quoted the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh as pledging the support of the church in helping the federal government to achieve its objectives of improving security and the welfare of Nigerians.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Buhari also received former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Presidential Villa.
No official statement has been issued on the outcome of the president’s closed door meeting with Obasanjo at the time of filing this report. (NAN)