Jonathan to Shettima: You must find abducted girls •As school principal weeps

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed Borno State Governor Kassim Shettima to do everything possible to find the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents. Jonathan gave the directive at the Presidential Villa in Abuja late Saturday night at a meeting between him and a Borno State’s delegation led by Shettima. The meeting ended in […]

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed Borno State Governor Kassim Shettima to do everything possible to find the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents.

Jonathan gave the directive at the Presidential Villa in Abuja late Saturday night at a meeting between him and a Borno State’s delegation led by Shettima.

The meeting ended in the early hours of Sunday with a presidential directive that all the missing girls should be rescued alive. 

The delegation from state included Shettima, his deputy, Commissioner for Education  Mr. Musa Kubo, Commissioner of Police, the chairman of Chibok Local Government Area, the divisional police officer of the area, Chibok Government Secondary School’s principal Mrs Asabe Kwabura, the school’s gate man, WAEC officials, among others.

On the president’s side were Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim and service chiefs.

Briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, said Jonathan’s directives to the delegation were very clear. 

He said the current security situation did not warrant disclosing all efforts by the Federal Government on the issue because of the threats emanating from the girls’ abductors. 

“The president has given very clear directives that everything must be done to ensure that those girls are brought back to safety.

“There was a lot of discussion. This is the first time the president will be meeting with all the other key persons like the school principal, the local government chairman and the commissioner of police. Before now, the president and the governor met regularly.

“This is a security operation, and at this stage, it is not every detail of the efforts of the Federal Government that will be put into public domain, particularly that there are indications that those responsible for the abduction have been issuing all kinds of threats.

“What is clear is the determination, the commitment and the resolve of Mr. President and the governor to make sure that these girls are brought back to safety”, Abati said.

On whether the meeting arrived at the specific number of the abducted girls, the presidential spokesman said: “I don’t want to deal with numbers. Even if it is one person, the safety of every Nigerian is important”.

He added: “This meeting is a follow-up to a meeting the president had yesterday (Friday) to further show his determination to make sure that girls who were abducted are brought back to safety and no stone is left unturned to make sure that this is achieved.

“There is a cooperation at all levels; local and state governments, community and other stakeholders. Everybody is mobilised at all levels to ensure that the girls are brought back to safety. As you can see, all the security chiefs also attended this meeting”.

Our correspondent reports that the principal of the school, Mrs Asabe Kwabura, was fighting hard to hold back tears after the meeting.

Efforts by journalists to interview her were rebuffed by the state officials.