Borno Earmarks N150m For Rehabilitation Of 53 Chibok Abduction Escapees

Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, has said his administration has earmarked N150 million for the rehabilitation of the 53 schoolgirls, who escaped the Boko Haram terrorists, who had abducted them on April 14 in Chibok.

According to him, the Boko Haram terrorists, despite claiming to be fighting the cause of Allah, had neglected the dotcrines of the Holy Quran, while at times even trying to change the ordained translation of its verses.

“To every Muslim, a verse of the Holy Quran clearly said that there was no compulsion in religion, but to these men of violence, there was compulsion, not only in religion, but even in Islamic ideologies. To these men, any human, who did not share their ideologies deserved to be brutally killed.

“A Muslim that is of not of the Boko Haram sect is condemned to death and so is a Christian. To them, the human race should go into extinction for their doctrine to thrive. Borno has seen evil times. Our people have suffered,” the governor lamented.

Shettima, who disclosed this while addressing the presidential fact-finding committee in Cibok said: “The Borno State government has set aside the sum of N150 million to fund a rehabilitation programme of the 53 girls and to support parents in Chibok, whose sources of livelihood have been truncated by the trauma, leaving them with little or nothing to feed on, while we continue to work immeasurably towards the release of the girls being held.”

Speaking further, the governor said: “The state government is already in touch with key international organisations and a plan of action has already been proposed by the Ministry of Health in the State on issues relating to the health and well-being of the 53 girls, as well as their colleagues soon as they are freed insha Allah.

“We are very optimistic that they will be freed. We have a committee headed by the state’s commissioner for health, a female medical doctor, with speciality in reproductive health. She has experience in female advocacy with international contacts on the issue before us,” he said.