A former Lagos State Governor, Sen. Bola Tinubu, on Monday called for special and adequate care for the released Chibok schoolgirls, to help them overcome the sad experience they had to suffer while in captivity.
Tinubu made the call in a message in Lagos to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians over the release of more of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls
He urged the government to help the families of the girls to nurture them, for their proper reintegration into the society.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 82 of the over 200 girls abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno by Boko Haram in April 2014 were released by the sect on Saturday following negotiations with the federal government.
The sect had earlier released 21 of the abducted girls in October 2016.
Tinubu said: ”I congratulate President Buhari and Nigerians over the release of more of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
”This shows President Buhari’s unwavering commitment to freeing these and other innocent children from the cruel hand of Boko Haram and returning them to their families and community.
”Yet, we must keep this good news in proper context. The released children need to be nurtured and cared for in a special way in order to overcome the sad experience that they had to suffer.
”Moreover, we must not forget the girls still held by Boko Haram and we must not forget the grief of their families.
” We owe it to them to press forward until all the girls have regained freedom and Boko Haram is so defeated that it may never again be able to do what it did in Chibok.
”Boko Haram must be defeated. President Buhari has said as much. We all must stand with him and support his strategy to accomplish this humane and necessary goal, ” he said.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader said the release of the girls showed that President Buhari had kept his eye on the true objective to reunite families and communities under the reign of peace and rule of justice.
According to him, the northern Nigeria, and Nigeria as a whole, may begin to rebuild in a way that brings a decent life and a taste of enduring prosperity to all Nigerians.
”This is the ultimate goal, and the release of these girls is an important step on this pathway.
”I congratulate the President. I congratulate our gallant armed forces. After waiting so long for the return of their children, the parents of these girls must feel a great sense of relief and elation, ” Tinubu said. (NAN)