By Baron Ike
Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State on Thursday told relatives of the missing girls from Government Girls Technical College Dapchi, that their wards have not been found.
More than 90 students were reportedly abducted from the school but the governor claimed some of them had been found, but he recanted on Thursday that they are still at large.
President Mohammadu Buhari had despatched three ministers to the community for on the spot assessment of the event.
The governor’s hint elicited instant emotional reaction from the parents who broke down in tears.
The waiting distraught parents wept profusely as the earlier news that the girls were rescued turned out to be false.
However, Gaidam told the parents at the district head’s palace in Dapchi, to remain faithful as security operatives were still searching for the girls.
“Soldiers have been pursuing the insurgents, although they receive information that the Boko Haram insurgents had passed some areas, but the communities in the areas said they did not spot the girls along with the insurgents,” Gaidam said.
The governor assured that government and security operatives would not rest on their oars until the missing girls were accounted for.
On Wednesday, the Yobe Government issued a statement claiming that some of the missing girls had been rescued.
“The government said yesterday the girls have been found, then the governor came today to say the soldiers are yet to find them. Why did they lie to us before?” said Ali Maidoya, who lives in Dapchi.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had appealed to parents and guardians for additional time to search for the missing schoolgirls.
Mohammed made the appeal while fielding questions from newsmen when he led Federal Government delegation to Dapchi on Thursday.
He said the actual number of the missing schoolgirls would be determined in the next few days when parents come forward with complaint of their missing wards.