Chibok girls’ll be rescued soon – Jonathan,Obasanjo

The Council of State, made up of former heads of government,yesterday held its second meeting in the year and came out with a promise that the abducted pupils of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, would soon be rescued.

More than 200 girls were seized from the school on the night of April 14 by members of the terrorist Islamic sect, Boko Haram. The incident has attracted global condemnation and protests. Almost 90 days in the custody of the terrorists, there have been many not-too-pleasant stories about the welfare of the girls.

But briefing journalists at the end of the Council meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio said the military high command had given assurances that the girls were safe and would soon be rescued.

According to reports from Punch,Akpabio said the council was satisfied that those security agents knew where the girls had been kept and that the soldiers were on top of the situation.

He said, “Top on the agenda of the meeting was the security of the nation. We were briefed by the President and the National Security Adviser on the steps that are being taken.

“Top on the security issue was the rescue of Chibok girls, which military authorities also confirmed that efforts were being made and that very soon we will have good news.

“It is also heart-warming to note that the issue is not whether we can rescue the girls, but the issue is how can we rescue them in a way that we can ensure their safety so that we don’t end up endangering their lives in the attempt to rescue them?”

He advised that Nigerians be patient in view of the worsening insecurity in the country, stressing that terrorism was a new development in the nation and that it would take time to put an end to it.

At the meeting were ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Shagari; former heads of state, Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar, ex-military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida; and former Head of the Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan.

Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retired.), who is a national leader of the opposition All Progressives Congress, was the only living ex-head of government that did not attend the meeting.