North-East Youth coalition hail military over return of Chibok girl

A coalition of Youth groups in the North-East has received with appreciation the recent return of one of the kidnapped Chibok girls, Ruth Nglari Apagu.

Apagu who had been in captivity for seven years is among the over 200 schoolgirls abducted on April 14, 2014 when Boko Haram terrorists attacked Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS), Chibok.

Ruth was married to a Boko Haram fighter and returned with two children she had while in captivity.

The Chibok girl and her husband had surrendered to Nigerian troops on July 28 at a location in Bama, Borno State.

The coalition, North-East Youth Advocacy, NEYA, in a news release today said the return of Ruth and turnaround of the Boko Haram husband gives hope that the Nigerian military is doing its best to restore peace in the region and ensure the abducted girls have not been forgotten.

The group appealed to the military not to rest on their oars, but to sustain the heat on the insurgents, so the remaining girls will return home.

In the release signed by Shehu Kumo and Asmau Bindo, president and secretary respectively of NEYA, the group said: “We have been in tears all these while over the fate of our sisters abducted by Boko Haram. But the return of Ruth is an assurance to us that the Armed Forces of Nigeria under Gen LEO Irabor is not relenting to ensure they are reunited with their families.

“We use this opportunity to appeal to the insurgents to lay down arms. Our North-East is in dire need of peace for socio-economic development to thrive once more.

“We also appeal to the residents of the North-East to support the Nigerian military, as they continue to sacrifice for the peace of our country.

“We use this opportunity to commend the military for all they are doing for us, otherwise, the North-East will have been run over.”