The 57 Chibok schoolgirls, who escaped from Boko Haram gunmen’s captivity on April 14, are to be relocated to schools in other states across the country where they would repeat their final class and re-sit for another exam next year, Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima has said.
The names of the schools are not to be made public for security reasons, the governor added.
About 27 of the escapees on Monday met with Governor Shettima at Government House, Maiduguri, accompanied by their parents.
Shettima, who spoke on the need to relocate the girls to schools outside Borno State, said the idea was to provide enabling atmosphere that will enable the girls to overcome the psychological trauma they may have passed through in the hands of the insurgents.
He added that experts on counseling would be mobilized from the United States of America to help the girls and parents of those whose daughters are yet to return, manage their trauma.
Addressing the parents and some of the escaped girls, Shettima reiterated his government’s resolve to see to the safe return of the over 200 girls still being held by the Boko Haram sect and ensure that they are reunited with their families.
He faulted the speculation that the abduction of the girls was a hoax, saying nothing could be as ridiculous as alleging that over 200 parents would feign the abduction of their daughters.
“The abduction of Chibok schoolgirls by the Boko Haram gunmen not only affects parents here present in this Council Chamber, but all of us, including my humble self and other stakeholders of Borno State”, Shettima said.
“I have daughters, too, and as a leader, people’s lives and property must be protected, including the rehabilitation of traumatized girls and their parents. These girls have no any other place to go.
“We have also no plans to politicise the abduction of 219 innocent schoolgirls from their school on April 14, 2014 by suspected Boko Haram gunmen. If any person that doubts the abduction of Chibok schoolgirls, let him or her go to the affected town and meet the parents.
“We are taking these girls here in this council chamber to a school in either Zaria, or Abuja or Lagos, but we will not disclose the name of the Secondary School in which they will complete their secondary education”.
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