The presidential fact-finding committee on the
abduction of the school girls in Chibok, Borno State
on Friday submitted their report to President
Goodluck Jonathan.
Photo of president Jonathan and the abducted girls
The report of the committee led by Brigadier-General
Ibrahim Sabo confirmed that the actual number of
girls abducted was 276, out of which 219 are still
missing as about 57 of them had escaped and had
since been reunited with their family.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that the Chairman of the
committee, Ibrahim Sabo disclosed this when the
committee submitted its report to Jonathan at the
presidential villa, Abuja while also urging the
president to treat the said report with utmost
confidentiality.
Mr. Sabo also explained that the committee
interacted with four of the girls who escaped from
their abductors though they were hesitant to discuss
the full details of their experience out of fear of a
possible reprisals from the insurgents.
According to him, the committee received the full
cooperation of the people and interacted with
different stakeholders considered relevant to the fact
finding mandate but with an exception of a senator
from Borno, who after agreeing to an appointment
with the Committee, turned around to avoid the
meeting by making excuses.
Sabo, however said, this did not affect the outcome
of the committee's findings.
The committee therefore, advised that the report be
treated with utmost confidentiality so as not to
jeopardise the on-going rescue efforts and also the
possibility of compromising national security matters,
while adding that this did not preclude government
from releasing information that may be useful for a
better public understanding of issues surrounding the
abduction saga.
In his response, President Jonathan promised that the
report would not be shelved, while also charging
owners of boarding schools in the country, especially
those in the North East, to provide at least some
basic security for their students.