The 82 rescued Chibok schoolgirls have arrived Abuja to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, who confirmed this development on his twitter handle, said the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari received the girls at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The girls, who regained their freedom on Saturday from Boko Haram captivity, would be meeting President Buhari at about 4.00p.m today.
The 82 girls were released to international negotiators who have been working in collaboration with the Federal government for their safe return since they were kidnapped in April 2014.
Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesman on Saturday in a statement issued in Abuja also confirmed that the girls were released by their captors in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the Federal Government.
In the meantime, the Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG) on Sunday applauded the Federal Government and security agencies on the release of the 82 Chibok girls.
Convener of the group, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili made the commendation in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
She said, “The Nigerian Presidency has confirmed that 82 of our missing 195 Chibok Girls have been released via a negotiated deal.
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“The efforts were through the combined effort of security agencies, the military, the government of Switzerland, the Red Cross, local and international NGOs”.
She said the group members were delighted by the good news which followed the release of 21 girls in October 2016.
“We commend Mr. President, the Federal Government and all the other partners for this heartwarming development.
“We are also glad that the statement from the Presidency makes a strong commitment to rescuing the remaining 113 of our Chibok Girls that are still captives of terrorists.”
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria the Convener, Nigeria Young Women Political Forum, Hajia Zainab Mohammed, commended the efforts of the federal government in securing the release of the girls.
“I am excited that the Nigeria security team are doing all they could to ensure our daughters are brought back from captivity.
“I am happy for the parents who are being reunited with their loved ones.
Mohammed said the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in collaboration with Ministry of Health should work together to provide the girls and their parents adequate psychological counseling.
She said the young girls would need psych-dynamic counseling sessions before being re-integrated into their various communities.
END.
