Community elders react to claims that some students refused to be released

Chibok community elders have reacted to the statement made by one of the negotiators who helped secure the release of the 82 students.

According to reports, Zannah Mustapha earlier said that some of the students refused to leave their Boko Haram captors.

Speaking on behalf of the elders, Chairman of the Chibok Community in Abuja, Hosea Tsambido said that the attitude of the Federal Government is suspicious.

According to Daily Post, Tsambido also said the community will not accept Mustapha’s statement, adding that the government might use it as an excuse to abandon the remaining girls.

He said “The most disheartening and annoying thing is the statement credited to one of the negotiators who said some of the girls refused to come out. We don’t want to hear that, even if the girls don’t want to come out, it is not for him to advertise.

“The girls must come out, whether they like it or not; they should force them out, just as they were forced in, they should be forced out. As their mind was changed by Boko Haram, when they return to us, we will change their mind back.

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“We have still not been contacted; parents have still not been contacted. All I was told is that some people from Chibok, two district heads and the former and present chairmen of the local government area, came to Abuja and were allowed access to the girls. Some community leaders from Abuja, who went with them, were barred from entering.”

Meanwhile, the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaign group has reminded the government that 113 girls are still in captivity.