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Army hands over rescued pregnant Chibok girl and her three children to Borno Govt

Published

1 week ago

May 10, 2024

The Nigerian Army has handed over Lydia Simon, the rescued Chibok girl, and her three children to Borno State Government for reunification with her family.

Maj. Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, Theatre Commander, North East Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, disclosed this during the handover ceremony at the Mailmalari Cantonment Maiduguri on Thursday, May 9, 2024.

He said that the six-month pregnant Chibok girl was rescued along with her three children by the troops of 82 Division Task Force Battalion in Ngoza LGA on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

Shuaibu said that she was number 18 among the girls who were rescued by the Nigerian military.

He explained that the abduction of Chibok girls in 2014 made both national and international headlines, which culminated in the hashtag, Bring Back Our Girls.

According to him, several efforts have been made, both international and national, to ensure the girls are returned safely and reunited with their families and loved ones.

“One of such national efforts is the conduct of military operations deep within the terrorist enclaves, which have yielded positive results to facilitate the rescue of some of the Chibok girls. Starting with Esther Marcus, who appears on serial 103 on the abducted Chibok School girls list and was the first to be rescued by troops of 7 Div Gar till now, efforts are still ongoing,” he said.

“Just recently, on April 17, 2024, one more Chibok girl was rescued with her three children from Mandara Mountain by troops of the theatre. The theatre will continue to do its best to rescue those still in captivity in line with the strategic direction and guidance from the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff.

“We thank the Chief of Army Staff for all the resources he has provided in the theatre to achieve its mandate.”

Also speaking, Brig. Gen. Abubakar Haruna, Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, said that the girl has been given medical treatment and other care by the division since her release on April 17, 2024.