Dapchi: 110 girls still missing – FG

-Military caused abduction – Gaidam

A federal government delegation, comprising the Minister of interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahaman Danbazau (retd.), and his Information and National Orientation counterpart, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday, held a closed-door meeting with the Yobe state government, led by Governor Ibrahim Gaidam (Dapchi:110 girl missing.)

On the state government’s side were the District Head of Dapchi, Alhaji Kachalla Yurama Kamba, political leaders in Dapchi and some selected parents of the missing girls of Government Girls Science Technical College, Dapchi, at the Government House, Damaturu.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Mohammed, said: “The meeting was meant to rub minds with stakeholders, security agencies and traditional rulers in order to get not only first-hand information, but also to get progress report on what is being done to rescue the girls.

“As at Monday morning, February 19, 906 students were at the school, but as at today, Sunday , that I am speaking with you, 110 girls cannot be accounted for.”

The minister added that discussions were held on important issues, adding that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been directed to man other boarding schools in the state Science Technical College, Dapchi, at the Government House, Damaturu.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Mohammed, said: “The meeting was meant to rub minds with stakeholders, security agencies and traditional rulers in order to get not only first-hand information, but also to get progress report on what is being done to rescue the girls.

“As at Monday morning, February 19, 906 students were at the school, but as at today, Sunday , that I am speaking with you, 110 girls cannot be accounted for.” The minister added that discussions were held on important issues, adding that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been directed to man other boarding schools in the state his Borno state counterpart, Kashim Shettima, who was in Damaturu on a sympathy visit.

“I blame the whole attack on Dapchi on the military and the defence headquarters who withdrew troops from Dapchi. The attack occurred barely a week after the military withdrew the soldiers from there. “Before then, Dapchi had been peaceful, there was never such incident.

But just a week after they withdrew the troops, Boko Haram came to attack the town,” he said. The governor said the Dapchi incident was not the first time the absence of soldiers in the Boko Haram troubled state would expose residents to such kind of attacks. He also recalled that in 2013, a secondary school in Buni-Yadi was attacked a week after the military removed soldiers guarding the town, with at least 29 students killed in that incident.

“Let me be quoted anywhere, the military must take blame for the attack on Dapchi. The same thing happened in 2013, when the military suddenly removed troops guarding the town and a week later, Boko Haram went there to attack the town and the secondary school there killing 29 students.”

The Yobe state government recently said it had spent N15.8 billion in the last three years on fighting the Boko Haram insurgency. Most of the expenditure are in form of support for the military, the state said. Earlier, yesterday, Shettima who was in Damaturu on behalf of the Northern Governors’ Forum, which he heads, expressed his sympathy to the government and people of Yobe state over the “unfortunate incident.”

“On behalf of the 19 Northern Governors’ forum, we have come to show our sympathy and let you know that we are with you in this traumatic period,” he said. Shettima called on the security agencies to ensure the abducted girls are rescued on time. Over 100 schoolgirls were kidnapped on Monday, last week, by the terrorists when they attacked the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi

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