By Ene Osang
Abuja
The federal government has revealed its readiness to negotiate with Boko Haram insurgents for the release of the remaining abducted Chibok school girls, if the opportunity comes.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, disclosed this while briefing the press in Abuja.
According to Senator Alhassan, negotiations are ongoing for the release of the remaining girls, adding that government was willing and committed to their freedom.
”If they will release the remaining girls in exchange for their members, we will gladly do that and we don’t regret the action.
”If we have our way we will release the other girls tomorrow, but unfortunately negotiations is ongoing for the release of the girls and I don’t know how long that would take,” she said.
Alhassan said the 82 girls released recently were already undergoing medical screening, and would afterwards, go for psychosocial therapy and refresher courses to enable them fit to go back to school.
She said pictures of the 82 girls had been sent for their parents to confirm their identities because some of them have similar names.
The minister, however, condemned news making the rounds that the newly released 82 girls was a scam, saying the girls were in serious trauma and were being rehabilitated.
”It is, categorically, not true that the girls are not the abducted ones, we have sent out their pictures for their biological parents to come identify them and those doubting can also ask the parents afterwards.
”The news is a scam and that is why their biological parents are denied access to them. We are in contact with the chairman of the parents of abducted girls and fortunately, his daughter is one of the newly released girls, she explained.
”Everybody cannot have access to the girls, at least not now, because they still feel the trauma of their abduction. Allowing unnecessary visit would jeopardise the release of the remaining girls and so we don’t want people to come ask them questions and remind them of the experiences,” she explained.
