By Sam Kayode
Two more Chibok ladies have been recovered from the bush by troops of the Nigerian military on clearance patrol, eight years they were abducted by insurgents.
The two ladies – Hawa Joseph and Mary Dauda – were part of the set of 276 girls taken away from their hostels in the Government College, Chibok in 2014 by Boko Haram insurgents who came around with trucks to pack them away like commodities for sale.
After the tragic event condemned by the entire world, a list of over 100 of those who were yet to return to their eager parents was drafted by the Army and Hawa Joseph was number 18 while Mary Dauda 46.
The ex students of Senior Secondary School class abducted from their hostels in Chibok have been wrongfully married off to Boko Haram Commanders and both came with baby boys relating a litany of the woes they faced to newsmen Tuesday evening when the Theater Commander (TC) Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Chris Musa unveiled them to the world.
Briefing newsmen in the company with the TC, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Major General Waidi Shaibu, said that two ladies were spotted by troops at the Bama/Gwoza axis of the state especially Ngose were one of them took refuge after escaping.
He said that the troops were professional in their performance while profiling having discovered that the ladies were the Chibok girls displayed on the wanted list almost eight years ago.
They were quickly picked up and brought into the base from two different locations.
Speaking with newsmen later, the ladies said that they had to run for their lives when they had the opportunity to escape from long suffering in the Savannah.
Earlier, TC, General Chris Musa, called on willing insurgent Commanders still in the bush to surrender and come out of the Sambisa forest or anywhere they are hiding.
He assured that no harm will befall the insurgents if they surrender as over 57,000 fighters with their women and children have been received and are undergoing profiling by the military.
And to the foot soldiers of both Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa ISWAP still commiting crimes across the Savannah, he went on: “Don’t listen to your Commanders please. They are busy making brisk money against your expense and lying to you. Come out now that you can.”
General Musa for the umpteenth time called on the residents of Borno state to avoid doing gainful business with the insurgents, no matter the nature.
“As a matter of fact, we are doing everything we can to ensure that the insurgents do not benefit anything from the citizens of the state,” he said.
On the recent abduction of about three humanitarian workers in Monguno, General Musa revealed that they have enough intelligence to believe that a new dimension has been introduced to the abduction which took place there.
“We actually found out that traitors from inside were responsible for bringing those who came to abduct people in the place.
“However, arrests have been made and we are working to ensure that the prevalence of such incidences will reduce to the barest minimum”, said Musa
SCRAP METAL SCAVENGING
General Musa regretted that in spite of the fact that the military has given a safety limitation for now to all residents and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) to stay out of trouble with insurgents, a lot of them cross the red line to look for scrap metals known here as “Ajaokuta”.
“We want residents to ensure that they do not cross the red lines and avoid picking any metal they do not know anything about because it could be dangerous doing so”, said Musa.
The two Chibok ladies and their kids will soon be handed over to the State Government which is expected to reunite them with their families.
