- UPDATE: Jonathan, Mark meet Chibok girls’ parents
- Complete photos of the meeting between President Jonathan and Chibok girls and parents
Ninety-nine days after their children and wards were abducted in a midnight raid on their school, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday met with parents of the girls abducted from Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14.
Journalists were barred from covering the meeting which was held inside the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
That was contrary to a statement released last week by the Presidency, saying the parley would be “open to the media for coverage by Nigerian and international press.”
Those who attended the meeting included 51 girls who escaped from their abductors including their principal, parents of escaped girls, parents of the girls still in captivity, opinion and community leaders from Chibok as well as officials of the Borno State Government.
They were conveyed to and from the venue in four red luxury buses belonging to the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company Limited amidst tight security provided by a combined team of men of the Department of State Security and armed policemen.
The security operatives shielded them from journalists before and after the meeting that lasted about three hours.
The venue wore a somber look with the escaped girls who looked traumatised being the cynosure of all eyes.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday said although he had not visited Chibok, Borno State since April 14 when over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped, his desire was to visit the town after the girls might have been rescued.
He said it was only then that parents of the abducted girls could receive him with smiling faces rather than with tears.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, quoted Jonathan as speaking during a closed-door meeting he had with parents of the abducted girls, some of the girls who escaped from their abductors and leaders of the community at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Abati said the President told the gathering that his heart was constantly with the traumatized parents, despite that he had not visited the town.
The statement quoted the Jonathan to have said, “Our duty now is to take all relevant steps to recover our girls alive and our primary interest is getting them out as safely as possible. I will not want to say much, but we are doing everything humanly possible to get the girls out.
“This not the time for talking much. This is the time for action. We will get to the time that we will tell stories. We will get to the time that we will celebrate and I assure you that, by God’s grace, that time will come soon.”
He was said to have reassured the Chibok community that his administration is doing everything humanly possible to rescue the girls and return them safely to their parents.
More photos:
Escaped Chibok girls at the meeting with President Jonathan at the State House today.
A cross-section of community leaders & parents of abducted Chibok girls during meeting with President Jonathan today.
Escaped Chibok girls arrive for meeting with President Jonathan at State House today
Parents of abducted Chibok girls arrive for meeting with President Jonathan at State House today
Parents of abducted Chibok girls during a meeting with President Jonathan at State House today
Parents of abducted Chibok girls during a meeting with President Jonathan at State House today
President Jonathan interacting with parents of abducted Chibok girls at the State House today.
President Jonathan interacting with parents of abducted Chibok girls at the State House today
President Jonathan interacting with parents of abducted Chibok girls at the State House today.
President Jonathan & Senator David Mark with Chibok girls at the Presidential Villa today
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I plan to visit Chibok after abducted girls’ freedom -Jonathan
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