Agency Report.
The Federal Government at the weekend denied knowledge of death of 98 out of estimated 113 Chibok schoolgirls remaining in the custody of Boko Haram since 2014.
The reaction of the Federal Government followed the information released by a journalist with extensive knowledge in the coverage of the Boko Haram insurgency, Ahmad Salkida, that only 15 of the girls are alive.
The information has it that some of the girls were killed in battles with the Nigerian Armed Forces by the Boko Haram Terrorists.
Salkida said of the 15 alive, some are married to Boko Haram commanders and others already brainwashed.
The information by Salkida and the position of the Federal Government, made known by President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, came on a day marking the fourth anniversary of the kidnap of the girls from their school in Chibok, Borno State.
The girls were kidnapped on April 14, 2014. information is unknown to the Nigerian Government.
Shehu said in a statement on Saturday: “Following the numerous press enquiries on the information contained in the series of tweets by Mr Ahmed Salkida, we wish to reiterate that the information is not known to the officials of this administration either from the captors of the Chibok girls or the international intercessors who are working with us.
“We wish to confirm that Mr Salkida is not involved, on behalf of the Nigerian government in the processes leading to the release of the over 100 Chibok Girls that have returned to their families, so far, and is not involved in the current processes to secure the release of those still held in captivity.”