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One of the young Nigerian girls kidnapped in 2014 has been rescued by the Nigerian military, an official has said.
Rebecca Kabu was rescued on 17 July in Cameroon, said Yaminu Musa, a rear admiral and the Coordinator of the Counter Terrorism Centre in the office of the National Security Adviser.
Mr Musa told Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, that Rebecca was kidnapped at age 13 in 2014 and is now 22 years old.
He said the returnee has been certified medically and mentally fit to be reunited with her parents in Zana village in Borno State, according to a statement from the office of the First Lady during a visit by Mr Musa and Rebecca to the office.
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He said subsequently, the NSA office would follow up and present her case, alongside the 15 other rehabilitated girls that were also rescued, for the federal government to support their education.
“I’m here to present to you one of those our young ones that were kidnapped in 2014, we are lucky to have one of them back in our midst. Rebecca was kidnapped and abducted from her school in Chibok in 2014 by late Shekau-led Boko Haram.
“She was rescued and repatriated from Cameroon on July 17 and has completed intensive medical screening and physiological evaluation over the past two weeks by a team of medical and psychological experts between the office of NSA and the National Intelligent Agency.
“Rebecca has been found to be in good health and is psychologically stable; the next step is to hand her over to the Borno state Governor for onward reuniting with her family in Zana,” he said.
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It was reported the kidnap of 277 Chibok girls from their secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration. More than half of the girls were later rescued with scores of them still unaccounted for.
They were kidnapped by the Boko Haram terror group which was then led by Abubakar Shekau, who was later killed by a rival terror group.
In her response to Friday’s visit, Mrs Tinubu was quoted as saying that she was committed to ensuring Rebecca gets all the support she needs including furthering her education.
“Rebecca will be our first comeback story and returnee, she is our first fruit; she is a case I am quite interested in to see that she can go back to school at her own pace,” she said.
In her response to the First Lady, Rebecca was quoted as saying that she could barely understand English Language.
Read the full statement by Busola Kukoyi, the Special Adviser on Media to Mrs Tinubu below.
The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu CON on Friday at the presidential villa, Abuja, received Rebecca Kabu, one of the 277 Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram in 2014.
The First Lady who received Rebecca along with the Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, promised to ensure that Rebecca is well taken care of medically and fit to return to school willingly.
Senator OluRemi Tinubu while assuring that the remaining girls in captivity are not forgotten, appreciated the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and other security agencies and those who were involved in Rebecca’s rescue.
“Our dear daughter, Rebecca, I welcome you, I’ve been praying for you all night, it is well with you, what has happened to her is much trauma; words are inadequate for me to describe it.
“Cases of amnesia should be treated; it is difficult to get by, but since you are still here, God has plans for you. I thank the office of the NSA and NIA for not relenting and everyone that is assisting in her rehabilitation.
“Rebecca will be our first comeback story and returnee, she is our first fruit; she is a case I am quite interested in to see that she can go back to school at her own pace.’’
The First Lady said her NGO, Renewed Hope Initiative, is strongly working on how mature girls who are forced out of school can return to school for quality education.
She promised that Rebecca will be one of the first recipients of her benevolence.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu said the younger ones, if well educated, would be able to fit into society and inherit the good legacies the older ones are leaving behind.
“Earlier, I talked to the NSA representative about cases of alternative high schools where girls like Rebecca can go back and learn at their pace because education is important for her and others.
“They need education as tool for the marketplace, to be able to understand and manage the inheritance and legacies that shall be handed to them.
“We pray and continue to pray that all our children that are still with Boko Haram will come back home, we are waiting in earnest, we have not given up hope, I am sure that by the time she is reunited with her parents, she will be glad.
“With the governor waiting for her, she is in good hands,’’ the first lady said.
Responding, Rebecca, in her low voice, told the first lady that she could barely understand English Language, but the first lady condoled her, saying that she would overcome it.
Earlier, Rear Admiral Yaminu Musa, the Coordinator, Counter Terrorism Centre, NSA, said Rebecca, kidnapped at age 13 in 2014 and now 22 years old, was rescued by the government security agencies on July 17.
He said the returnee has been certified medically and mentally fit to be reunited with her parents in Zana village in Borno state.
He said subsequently, the NSA office would follow up and present her case alongside the 15 other rehabilitated girls that were also rescued for Federal Government education support.
“I’m here to present to you one of those our young ones that were kidnapped in 2014, we are lucky to have one of them back in our midst. Rebecca was kidnapped and abducted from her school in Chibok in 2014 by late Shekarau-led Boko Haram.
“She was rescued and repatriated from Cameroon on July 17 and has completed intensive medical screening and physiological evaluation over the past two weeks by a team of medical and psychological experts between the office of NSA and the National Intelligent Agency.
“Rebecca has been found to be in good health and is psychologically stable; the next step is to hand her over to the Borno state Governor for onward reuniting with her family in Zana.
This news is incomplete without details of how she was rescued?
This news is incomplete without details of how she was rescued.