Rescued Girl, Serah Luka, Not On Our List ' Chibok Parents
Campaigners on Friday questioned a Nigerian military claim that a second
Chibok schoolgirl had been rescued, but the army maintained she was one
of the 219 abducted by Boko Haram.
Yakubu Nkeki, the head of the Chibok Abducted Girls Parents group, told the AFP the military contacted him before an announcement was made on Wednesday about the discovery of the first girl, Amina Ali.
“We were able to identify her and then establish her parents,” he told AFP. But there was no call before Nigeria’s army announced lateThursday that a second schoolgirl had been rescued.
She was said to be Serah Luka, who was among 97 women and children rescued earlier that day in the Damboa area of the northeastern state of Borno.
She told troops and civilian vigilantes she was a Christian pastor’s daughter originally from Madagali, in neighbouring Adamawa state, and had been in Chibok to sit her exams.
Nkeki said his records showed only two girls with the surname Luka.
“These are Kauna Luka Yana and Naomi Luka Dzakwa. Among the list of parents we have only four priests and none of them is Luka,” he added.
“Among the girls none of them is from Madagali. They were either from Chibok, Damboa, Askira and Uba (all in Borno state). So I can say… that this girl is not among the abducted Chibok girls.
“We were never contacted by the military for verification of the girl’s identity before the announcement was made.”
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Yakubu Nkeki, the head of the Chibok Abducted Girls Parents group, told the AFP the military contacted him before an announcement was made on Wednesday about the discovery of the first girl, Amina Ali.
“We were able to identify her and then establish her parents,” he told AFP. But there was no call before Nigeria’s army announced lateThursday that a second schoolgirl had been rescued.
She was said to be Serah Luka, who was among 97 women and children rescued earlier that day in the Damboa area of the northeastern state of Borno.
She told troops and civilian vigilantes she was a Christian pastor’s daughter originally from Madagali, in neighbouring Adamawa state, and had been in Chibok to sit her exams.
Nkeki said his records showed only two girls with the surname Luka.
“These are Kauna Luka Yana and Naomi Luka Dzakwa. Among the list of parents we have only four priests and none of them is Luka,” he added.
“Among the girls none of them is from Madagali. They were either from Chibok, Damboa, Askira and Uba (all in Borno state). So I can say… that this girl is not among the abducted Chibok girls.
“We were never contacted by the military for verification of the girl’s identity before the announcement was made.”
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The Chibok community made this known at a press briefing organized by the Bring Back Our Girls advocacy group in Abuja, today, May 19. Speaking at the press briefing, Tsambido Hosea Abana, the chairman of the Chibok community in Abuja told the federal government its daughter, Amina Ali who was recently rescued from the grip of Boko Haram is not, and has never been married to any terrorist.
His remark comes on the heels of media reports that Amina was rescued alongside her ‘husband’, one Mohammed Hayyatu, a Boko Haram suspect.
Abana said: “The Mbalala village, where Amina hails from, and the Chibok community as a whole welcome Amina and accept her wholeheartedly with her child, while we await all others still in captivity.
“It is noteworthy, also, that Amina was found in the company of others, among whom is a man, Mohammed Hayyatu, who claims to be her ‘husband.’
“From this foregoing, we, the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), wish to state the following as our stance on Amina Ali Darsha Nkeki:
“We condemn, in strong terms, the calling of Mohammad Hayyatu as Boko Haram husband of our daughter; rather, upon confirmation by the Nigerian Military, should be referred to as a: “Boko Haram sexual exploiter.’
“Amina had no husband and whoever that was rescued with her should not be referred to as her husband for any reason. They should be treated separately until Amina is fully rehabilitated. “We will not support discussion with the Government or any agency of government in company of Mohammad Hayyatu.
“We are strongly calling on government to set up a team of expert investigators to investigate Mohammad Hayyatu’s involvement into Boko Haram that led him to be the sexual exploiter of our daughter Amina so as to allow the law to take its proper course.
“He should be treated based on what investigations will reveal not to conclude from start that he was also an abductee.
“Even if he is also abducted and forced to marry her, he should not be referred to in any way as her husband, because there was never consent in getting her with a baby.
“All reports and findings of investigation should be made public. All stakeholders – Parents, Chibok Community (KADA), BBOG, etc – should be involved in any process of discussing and relevant actions relating to Amina and her colleagues that we are expecting their rescue soonest, for purpose of transparency and confidence building.
“We are insisting Amina Ali’s mother/guardian and the Parents’ Association Chairman, Yakubu Nkeki to be on making decisions that concern her wellbeing. We are asking for a Safe Haven to be provided for Amina, her mom and her baby. A safe home that is controlled by her family with the reasonable amount of security support but not overbearing. Insist that all resources necessary be given to the Parents’ chair as her legal guardian in the absence of her Dad and a mom who herself needs help.
“The Chibok Community wishes to be involved in any further decisions on our daughters. We are dissatisfied with the approach of the military, and the Governments in shutting us out of verification process. We therefore refer Government and its agencies to the Verification, Authentication and Reintegration System that BBOG designed with the participation of our community. It lays out the PROPER PROCESS for handling the return of our daughters. That was not done in this case and we would not want any recurrence.
“The Chibok community frowns at federal government and Borno state government in treating Amina like an item. She is a traumatized young woman who needs immediate care and not any further media circus. We demanded to see our daughter today in Abuja as leaders of the Community.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has promised that everything will be done to ensure that the rescued Chibok girl, Amina Ali, goes back to school.
He also promised that his administration will ensure that Amina gets the best medical, emotional and other necessary care towards her full recovery and integration into the society.
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