#DapchiGirls: 110 girls still unaccounted for – Lai Mohammed

The minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the Federal Government in collaboration with Yobe State Government will set up a Situation room to coordinate all information and progress report on efforts geared towards the rescue of Dapchi School Girls.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed who was fielding questions from journalists in Damaturu after a closed door meeting with Governor. Ibrahim Gaidam and other stakeholders on the Dapchi attack, also informed that the Federal Government through the ministry of Interior would ensure the parents of the missing girls get sucour while the search and rescue lasts.

“Yes, the Federal Government will ensure the parents get succor. The Hon. Minister of Interior made it clear that we will bring succor to the parents but we need to work with the parents, security, state government and everybody. That is why a kind of situation room is being put together now that will comprise of traditional rulers, the parents, local people, representatives of the parents, and all the security agencies,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

The minister also disclosed that the Federal government is very serious over the unfortunate incident at Dapchi, saying, “The fact that the federal government has sent a delegation to Yobe State twice in less than four days underscores the importance the Federal Government has attached to the unfortunate incident in Dapchi.”

“We have come here to meet with all the stakeholders, the security outfit, the governor, reps of the parents, Local government Chairman not just to get first hand information of what happen but also to get progress report of what is being done to rescue the girls,” he said.

Speaking on the actually number of girls that are yet to be accounted for and as to whether there was an abduction, the minister replied; “There is no doubt that the insurgents were in Dapchi and as at today, we cannot account for 110 girls. Because the total register of the students that came to school that day was 906 but as at today(Sunday,25 February, 2018) about 110 of them cannot be accounted for and that is the situation.

“But far reaching decision were taken here today: one, is that henceforth, the police and the civil defense corp will ensure that their presence is strong in every school to serve as a deterrent to the insurgents, secondly, the security agencies and outfits are working together and synergizing to ensure that these girls are recovered as fast as possible.

“ We are working on very important things that would not be very impudent to talk about but we want to assure Nigerians that no stone will be left unturned in our determination to rescue these girls.

Mohammed explained that his earlier statement in Dapchi on Thursday that ‘Boko Haram is looking for ‘oxygen to breath’ is not trivializing the abduction but rather to underscore the major success the government has achieved against the insurgents in the last few years.

“If we you look at what this government has done in containing the Boko Haram insurgency, you will agree with me that this is actually looking for attention. It is actually more like oxygen. Just one life is very important. We are not making it look trivia but we are just saying that we must remain focused. It is a very huge task and we want to assure Nigerians that the days of Boko Haram is almost at an end,” he explained.