Buhari takes over upkeep of 10 Chibok girls

The federal government has taken over the education and care of 10 Chibok girls who survived Boko Haram abduction
The ministry of women affairs and social development revealed that the government took the decision after a meeting with parents of the affected children
About 276 schoolgirls were abducted by the insurgents

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government has adopted 10 Chibok girls who survived abduction by the Boko Haram, The Cable is reporting.
Some of the Chibok girls in the US will be adopted by federal government
The ministry of women affairs and social development revealed that the government has decided to revoke the guardianship of the girls after a meeting with their parents.

The news comes days after two of the girls were rescued with one of them becoming controversial as parents of the abducted children said she was not part of them.

Ten of the schoolgirls were admitted into schools in the United States after 57 of them fled the custody of Boko Haram insurgents who had abducted about 276 of the students while they were in school preparing for an examination.

The report quoted Al Jazeera, as noting that Emmanuel Ogebe, a US-based Nigerian human rights lawyer, collaborated with a Nigerian couple to help the 10 girls to America.

A statement issued by Temitope Bamgboye, director of social welfare of the ministry, read: “The federal government of Nigeria has taken over the care of the girls currently studying in the USA, who escaped from Boko Haram captivity after being abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, on April 14, 2014.

“Following a meeting held on May 25, 2016, between parents of the escaped Chibok girls studying in America and officials of the federal ministry of women affairs and social development in charge of the Chibok girls desk specially set up by President Muhammadu Buhari, the federal government, including its representatives and agents, is now in charge of the girls.

“The parents signed declaration forms authorising the ministry to take over guardianship of their daughters.

“Any previous guardianship arrangement has thus been revoked.

“This information has been transmitted to the ministry of foreign affairs, which is to ensure that this is effected through the Nigerian embassy in DC.

“The same will also be communicated to the US State department through the US Embassy in Nigeria.

“The plan is that the girls remain in the US to pursue further education and to graduate, uninterrupted, in a safe and nurturing environment and away from the public glare, which was supposed to be the plan in the first place.”