State government confirms abduction of over 50 schoolgirls

The girls were said to have gone missing after gunmen believed to be terrorists stormed Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) located in Dapchi, Headquarters of Bursari Local Government area of the state.

The incident reportedly occurred last Monday.

The State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam confirmed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, and posted on Twitter by Bashir Ahmad, a Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Gaidam said, "Out of the 926 students in the school, over 50 are still unaccounted for as of the time of this statement.

"As the public is aware, the students were helped by their teachers to escape through the night to the surrounding bush and villages as the terrorists stormed the town last Monday".

The statement said that the government received information about some of the girls being found in the general area to which they escaped.

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It added that State Government has no credible information yet about the whereabouts of the girls.

"The Yobe State Government is working with the Nigerian Army and other security and law enforcement agencies to ensure that all students in the school are fully accounted for," the Governor said.

Gaidam has directed all relevant personnel and agencies to work closely with the army and other security organisations to get the girls back safely to their families.

He assured their parents and the community that the state government will ensure the missing girls are found.

ALSO READ: Buhari paid Boko Haram €3m for 103 Chibok girls

In April 2014, Boko Haram stormed the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok, Borno State and abducted 276 female students.

A total of 57 of the girls, however, managed to escape over the next few months while the Federal Government secured the release 21 girls in October 2016 and another 82 of the girls were freed in May 2017 in exchange for ransom.