ANEEJ LAUDS RELEASE OF 21 CHIBOK GIRLS, BUT SAYS IT’S NOT UBUNTU YET
13th October, 2016
Press Release
Benin City, Nigeria: The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, has commended the Federal government, the Red Cross and the Swiss government for working assiduously for the release of 21 of the over 200 school girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram terrorist group in April 2014, asking the Federal government to be prudent in the handling of further negotiations for the remaining girls.
ANEEJ executive director, the Rev David Ugolor made this statement to journalists after confirmation of the release of the abducted 21 girls was made by a senior official of the Federal Government.
‘With the release of these girls, there is hope that the remaining girls who have been in captivity will be released as well someday. We applaud the untiring efforts of the Federal government together with the concerted efforts of the Red Cross and the Swedish government. We are proud of the persistent efforts of the series of campaigns carried out by the Bring Back Our Girls Group, which helped to put the issue on the front burner of national and international discourse’, the Rev Ugolor said in the statement.
Part of the statement also called on the authorities to use the release of the girls in phases as an open door to further negotiations that could result in the release of the remaining girls.
‘While we celebrate, we must be mindful that the other girls abducted by Boko Haram are still in captivity and their parents still suffer the trauma of having not seen their daughters for well over two years. Not until the release of all the girls can Nigeria and the world truly celebrate. Even though the release of the 21 girls when the world celebrated the International years of the girl child is significant, yet it reminds us all of the precarious lot of the girl-child around the world, and what we can do to build and empower them’, the Rev Ugolor said in the statement.