Chibok Girls: Buhari hasn't forgotten students kidnapped by Boko Haram

President Muhammadu Buhari has told parents of schoolgirls who were kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State six years ago that he hasn't forgotten about them.

Militants of terrorist group, Boko Haram, invaded Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, and kidnapped 276 female students from the school hostel on April 14, 2014.

Since then, a total of 164 students have returned through various means including escapes, rescues, prisoner swaps and ransom negotiations.

Even though Buhari wasn't president when the girls were kidnapped, his promise to get them back and completely defeat the terrorist group contributed largely to his first term win in 2015.

However, five years after his win, 112 of the girls remain in captivity, leading to many accusing his government of failed promises regarding the war on terror.

With the sixth anniversary of the girls' abduction coming up on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, President Buhari says the freedom of the girls is very important to him.

Parents of the abducted Chibok girls during one of their many trips to the Presidential Villa [Presidency] Reuters

In a statement directed at the Chibok community and the Association of the Parents of the Abducted Girls from Chibok, Buhari said he's working hard to make sure the girls return alive.

He noted that a fracture in the leadership of the terrorist group has made negotiations for the girls' return a difficult task.

He said military operations against the group have been tempered by the will to make sure the girls are returned unharmed.

The president assured that the nation's security and intelligence community is making a lot of efforts using backroom channels to get the girls back to their families.

"The issue of the Chibok girls is not a forgotten issue. We cannot go to sleep over this matter.

"We are optimistic that ongoing efforts will yield something positive," he said.

The government's last deal with the terrorist group led to the release of 21 Chibok girls in October 2016, and 82 in May 2017.