Torrent of Emotions as Chibok Girls, Parents Reunite After Two Years

It was a torrent of emotions during a special thanksgiving service held yesterday at the Department of State Services (DSS) health facility, when the 21 Chibok girls released from captivity reunited with their parents, family and friends for the first time in more than two years since their abduction by Boko Haram from their school dormitory.

One weeping, overjoyed mother even wrapped her daughter around her back, reenacting a period when she backed her daughter as a baby and toddler almost two decades ago.

Representing the federal government was the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who termed the reunion a “day of joy”.

The 21 girls were released on Thursday following negotiations by the DSS in collaboration with the Swiss Government and the Nigerian military, on behalf of the federal government, with the leadership of Boko Haram.

Presidency sources reliably informed THISDAY that the federal government was forced to part with an undisclosed amount of money to secure the release of the 21 girls, while negotiations continue for the release of another 83.

Unfortunately, the fate of 114 other girls remains in the balance, as they are believed to have been either killed, married off, or radicalised and have no desire to return to their families.

THISDAY gathered that the families of the 21 girls left Chibok town in Borno State by road in two buses on Friday and arrived Abuja on Saturday night, and were reunited with the girls at the DSS health facility yesterday.

One of the girls, Gloria Dame, who spoke on behalf of her classmates in an emotionally laden voice, said: “We stayed for one month and 10 days without food. I narrowly escaped a bomb blast in the forest. We never knew there would be a day like this but God has made it possible for us.”

Gloria, who spoke in Hausa, appealed to Nigerians and the international community to continue to pray for the speedy release of her remaining colleagues still in captivity.

Dr. Shiktra Kwali, who delivered the sermon during the interdenominational service, told the girls that as they start a new life in freedom, they should not allow the experience of the past to weigh them down, and urged them to remain steadfast in their service to the Lord, who did not forsake them even in captivity.

Several ministers of God, including the President of the Church of Brethren in Nigeria (EYN), Reverend Joel Bilili, also offered prayers for the girls.

The information minister said the reunification was a day the world had been waiting for, saying: “It is day of joy.”

He promised that the federal government would continue to negotiate to secure the release of the remaining girls and appealed to the public against making careless statements that could truncate the rescue operation.

“There are many reckless analysts and commentators who are not helping the situation. We still have many of our children in captivity. Therefore we have to be careful with the kind of comments that we make.

“We must not make comments that will make the release of these girls difficult or impossible,” he said.

Mohammed, who quoted from the scriptures, saying: “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them,” noted that those who doubted the sincerity and commitment of the present administration to the safe release and reunion of the abducted Chibok girls with their parents were disappointed.

“When the president said that the Boko Haram saga will not be closed until all the girls abducted have been released and reunited with their families safely, those who doubted did not believe us, so we thank God this day has come,” he added.

The minister also appealed to the parents of the girls whose daughters remain in captivity to continue to persevere, saying: “This is the beginning and we are very optimistic that very soon another batch bigger than this will be released. I want to assure you that these negotiations are ongoing even as we speak.”

The Chairman of the Parents of the Abducted Chibok School Girls, Mr. Yakubu Nkeki, re-echoed the minister’s plea by appealing to members of the public to stop spreading rumours, particularly on the social media that could put the lives of the girls still in captivity at risk.

He also debunked reports that 18 of the 21 freed girls were pregnant or that the girls had been radicalised by Boko Haram.

Nkeki thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for summoning the courage and the political will that eventually led to the release of the abducted girls.

The thanksgiving service ended with an identification parade that entailed each of the freed girls identifying her parents who in turn made brief remarks, with many of them thanking the president for ensuring their safe return.