Reps urge FG to expedite negotiations for remaining kidnapped girls

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to expedite negotiations for the release of the remaining Chibok school girls still in Boko Haram’s captivity.

This followed a motion under matter of urgent public importance moved by Rep. Asabe Bashir (Borno-APC).

Moving the motion, Bashir said three years after the abduction, 195 abducted school girls were still in captivity while negotiations for their release seemed to be takingtoo long.

She expressed concern that the girls could be subjected to more hardship, slavery, molestation, abuse, rape and forceful marriage in the hands of their abductors.

According to her, there are media reports that the girls are preparing for their final secondary school examination at an undisclosed private school in Abuja.

The lawmaker noted that the Federal Government had in 2016 disclosed that it was negotiating with Boko Haram for the release of 83 out of the remaining 195 abducted girls still in captivity.

In her contribution, Rep. Nnena Elendu-Ukeji (Abia-PDP), said that Federal Government must see to the full execution of a rehabilitation programme for the girls and their children they returned with.

She added that it would be the only away the girls and their children, many of whom were products of sexual assault, were fully reintegrated in the society.

The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.

The house, therefore, mandated its committee on Women Affairs to ascertain the condition and rehabilitation of the freed school girls and report back within three weeks.