President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has hailed the release of 21 of the over 200 Chibok girls who have been in Boko Haram captivity for more than two years.
The Senate President commended President Muhammadu Buhari, security agencies, the government of Switzerland and the international community for the role they played in securing the release of the girls.
In a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Yusuf Olaniyonu, Saraki said, “We join all Nigerians to rejoice on the return of our daughters. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families of those who have returned and those girls who remain in the hands of the terrorists.
“It is our hope that the release of more of the girls is imminent and that our nation remains vigilant in the face of the continued crisis in North-East, Nigeria.
“The release of the 21 girls is a testament to the perseverance of our men and women in uniform, the civilian joint task force and a clear indication that this government has been relentless in securing their release.
“Moving forward, we need to ensure that the girls that have been returned to us are re-united with their families, and rehabilitated to become full members of our society.
“We must also not take our foot off the gas; Nigerians must continue to be united and insistent on the safe return of the other girls that are still in the hands of Boko Haram.”
Saraki reaffirmed the commitment of the Senate to supporting the Federal Government to secure the release of all the Chibok girls.
“On our part, the Nigerian Senate has been clear that we will continue to do everything within our powers to support efforts aimed at securing the release of the rest of the girls,” he said.
