Army hands over rescued Chibok girl, 330 others to Borno Govt
Army
Army hands over rescued Chibok girl, 330 others to Borno Govt
Abdullateef Fowewe
In a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against terrorism and insurgency in the North East, the Theatre Commander of Joint Task Force, NE Operation HADIN KAI, Major General Waidi Shaibu, handed over another rescued Chibok girl, Ihyi Abdu, to the Borno State Government on Monday, July 22, 2024.
General Shaibu in a statement by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations Theatre Command Headquarters, Reuben Kovangiya emphasised the importance of military operations across the theatre to restore normalcy in the region and foster socio-economic activities during a press briefing at the Headquarters Theater Command, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.
Shaibu according to the statement highlighted that the ongoing plight of the remaining Chibok girls in captivity necessitated deep military operations into terrorists’ enclaves to secure their release and assured the public that OPHK remains committed to rescuing the remaining Chibok girls, following the strategic guidance of the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa and Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.
The statement reads in part, “Giving details of the rescue, the Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC)7 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Sector 1 OPHK, Brigadier General Abubakar Haruna said, Ihyi and her 2 children, were rescued by troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade Bama, during an offensive operation conducted within the Sambisa forest in June 2024.
“General Haruna stated that Ihyi 27 years old and Kibaku by tribe hails from Kubur-Mbula village in Chibok LGA. He added that while she was in captivity, she was married to one Abu Darda, an indigene of Plateau state in Gwoza town in 2014, after which he relocated to Senegal. Since her rescue according to the GOC, Ihyi and her children had undergone detailed medical examinations.
“In the same vein, 330 women and children rescued by troops of OPHK were also handed over to the Borno State Government. During the handover, the Theatre Commander who was represented by the Chief J9 (in charge of Civil Military Affairs) Navy Captain Mohammed Abdullahi, stated that the rescue was as a result of the wet season operations in the Theatre. He said the rescue was an indication that the logistics strangulation strategy in the conduct of the operations has been successful. He thanked the Borno State Government for playing a key role in the non-kinetic efforts of the operations.”
While receiving the rescued individuals, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, represented by Director of Social Welfare Mrs Aishatu Shettima, according to the statement expressed gratitude to the military for their vigilance and efforts. She assured that the rescued women and children would receive psycho-social support, family tracing, skill acquisition training, and education for children before being reunited with their families.
“High points of the event were symbolic handover of the persons and group photograph,” the statement added.
