BREAKING NEWS, Security
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THE Nigerian Army on Saturday, November 5, announced the rescue of another Chibok schoolgirl in Pulka, Borno State.
Maryam Ali Maiyanga, according to the military, was discovered during the screening of escapees from Boko Haram’s hideout in Sambisa forest.
A statement issued by Sani Usman, a colonel and Army spokesperson, said the girl was carrying a 10-month-old baby when troops found her.
She is the first to escape from Boko Haram less than a month after the negotiated release of 21 other girls to the Nigerian government.
Boko Haram abducted over 270 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014, sparking global outrage.
Usman said: “Nigerian Army troops have rescued another Chibok school girl at Pulka.
“Troops of 121 Battalion, deployed at Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State, for Operation Lafiya Dole, on Saturday, November 5, 2016, at 6.00am, while screening some escapees from Boko Haram terrorists’ hideout in Sambisa forest, discovered one of the abducted Government Secondary School Chibok girls, named Maryam Ali Maiyanga among them.
“She was discovered to be carrying a 10-month-old son, named Ali. She has been taken to the unit’s medical facility for proper medical checkup.
“It is imperative to state that troops have been working round the clock to clear remnants of Boko Haram terrorists wherever they might be hibernating and also rescue all persons held hostages by terrorists.”
Confirming the rescue, the Borno State government Saturday said the girl was received on behalf of the state government by Kaka Shehu Lamin, commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state.
Lamin promised to convey the girl to Abuja on Sunday, November 6, so that Governor Kashim Shettima could hand her over to President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I want to assure you that the first thing tomorrow (Sunday) morning, our precious young girl in the company of our delegation, will meet His Excellency, the governor, in Abuja for the proper handover to him so that he can handover this lady to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Thereafter, the process of deradicalizing and reuniting her with her family would follow,” he said.
Lucky Irabor, a major general and commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole, while handing over the rescued girl to the Borno State government, said: “This morning, as part of the operation we’ve been conducting, we rescued one of the Chibok girls by name Maryam Maiyanga. Our troops in Pulka rescued her along with a Boko Haram member.
“And of course, the baby that you can see with her is a 10-month-old baby. And of course, we had to send the aircraft to go to bring her.
“We felt that it’s essential to hand her along with her baby over to the Borno State government.
“On behalf of the officers and soldiers of Operation Lafiya Dole, I would like to hand over to you, one of the Chibok schoolgirls by the name Maryam Maiyanga,” he said.
— Nov 7, 2016 @ 15:55 GMT
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