276 Girls Still Missing–SSS, Police

Security operatives in Borno State have disclosed that more than 270 girls are still missing and are not yet accounted for. The Police in the state, as well as the State Security Service, SSS, said the number of students of the Government Girls Secondary School, GGSS, Chibok in Borno State still not found are 276, not 234 as widely reported.

Addressing a joint press conference on Thursday at the Borno State Police Command Headquarters in Maiduguri, the Police and SSS disclosed that this latest figure is more accurate than the figures earlier given.

The Police Commissioner in the state, Tanko Lawan, explained that, “it is really difficult to say the actual number of girls that were abducted. This is because, students from other secondary schools within the catchment area were deployed to GGSS Chibok to write their final year examinations due to the peculiar security challenges in Borno State.

“The students were drawn from schools in Izge, Lassa, Ashigashiya and Warabe and that is why after the unfortunate incident, there were various flying numbers as to the actual number of girls that were taken away.

“The fact is that the number may likely change, especially when parents from some of the villages come forth and report the disappearance of their daughters. Most importantly, it is not the number that matters because all the girls are very important and we have to find them.‬ There is serious collaboration between various security agencies at all levels towards rescuing the girls.”

The police chief urged parents and community leaders in the area to submit names and identities of their missing daughters, assuring them that efforts are being made to rescue the girls from their kidnappers’ den.

He also advised those with useful information that could lead to the release of the girls to call these phone numbers; +2348075897377, +23481777309 and +2348036121490.

A protest was held on Thursday in Lagos to call for a prompt action by the government for the rescue of the missing girls. The kidnap has attracted reactions all over the world.