The controversy surrounding the exact number of girls unaccounted following an attack by terrorists suspected to be Boko Haram may be nearing an end. The Federal Government has confirmed that 110 students of the Government Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, are so far unaccounted for, after insurgents believed to be from a faction of Boko Haram invaded their school on Monday (19 Feb. 2018).
The figures were released as the Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, put the blame for the incident squarely at the doorsteps of the military.
He told visiting Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima: “I blame the whole attack on Dapchi on the military and the defence headquarters who withdrew troops from Dapchi. The attack occurred barely a week after the military withdrew the soldiers from there
“Before then, Dapchi has been peaceful, there was never such incident. But just a week after they withdrew the troops, Boko Haram came to attack the town….
“Let me be quoted anywhere, the military must take blame for the attack on Dapchi. The same thing happened in 2013 when the military suddenly removed troops guarding the town and a week later Boko Haram went there to attack the town and the secondary school there killing 29 students.”
“Let me be quoted anywhere, the military must take blame for the attack on Dapchi. The same thing happened in 2013 when the military suddenly removed troops guarding the town and a week later Boko Haram went there to attack the town and the secondary school there killing 29 students.”
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the Federal Government figure after a meeting between a Federal Government Delegation and representatives of key stakeholders, including the state government, the college, the parents, security agencies and Bursari local government, where Dapchi is situated, in Damaturu on Sunday.
He said, based on the briefings from the Principal of the College, Hajia Adama Abdulkarim, and the state Commissioner for Education, Hon. Mohammed Lami, 906 students – out of whom 110 have not been accounted for – were in the school on the day of the attack.
Alhaji Mohammed also announced that the Federal Government has directed the police and civil defence authorities in Yobe State to immediately deploy their personnel to all the schools in the state in order to ensure the security and safety of the students and their staffers.
The Minister disclosed that the Federal Government has stepped up efforts to rescue the girls and return them safely to their parents, saying the security agencies are working on many leads regarding the whereabouts of the girls.
”This is the second time in four days that a Federal Government delegation would visit Yobe State since the unfortunate incident. This is a measure of the seriousness with which we are addressing the issue. The security forces are leaving no stone unturned in their search for the girls.
”We are back here in Yobe as part of efforts to provide some succour to the parents of the girls, to let them know that they are not alone and also to reassure them that we will not rest until we have found the girls. We will carry the parents along on the efforts we are making,” he said.
For his part, the Minister of Interior said the delegation embarked on the trip in order to get the facts right ”so that the approach to the solution can be correct”.
”We must get back the girls and also ensure that this does not happen
again,” he said.
The Federal Government delegation, which comprised the Ministers of Information and Culture as well as that of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retired), held an enlarged meeting that was attended by Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State; members of the state cabinet, the Principal and Vice Principal of the school, representatives of the parents of the missing girls and security agencies, among others.
105 names were earlier published by The Nation newspaper.
They are:
- Fatima Bashir
- Aisha Kachalla
- Zainab Abubakar
- Falmata Wakil
- Fatima Isa
- Fatima Musa
- Aisha Usman
- Aisha Adamu
- Fatima Isa
- Hauwa A. Mohammed Idriss
- Maryam Mohammed
- Fatima Mohammed II
- Hauwa Salisu
- Hassana Gambo
- Aisha Adamu
- Adama Garba
- Zara Grema
- Maryam Daamkontoma
- Zainab Bama
- Fatsuma Abdullahi
- Fatima Yahaya Tarbutu
- Amina Yahaya Tarbutu
- Amina Adamu
- Hajara Ali
- Fatima Abdullahi
- Fatsuma Ali
- Zara’U Mohammed
- Salamatu Garba
- Falmata Alh. Inuwa
- Falmata Alh. Ali
- Aisha B. Danjuma
- Maryam Bashir
- Maryam Aliyu Mabu
- Fatima Modu Bamba
- Aisha Modu Bamba
- Hafsat Haruna
- Rabi Alh. Nasiru
- Hadiza Moh’D
- Fatima Aji Hassan
- Falmata Wakil
- Aisha Wakil
- Falmata A. Audu
- Aisha Maina
- Aisha Mohammed
- Aisha Mamuda
- Name missing on list
- Zainab Usman
- Hadiza Mohammed Taiduma
- Maryam Ibrahim
- Fatima M. Gira
- Hafsat Ibrahim Gira
- Maryam Ibrahim
- Zara Tijjani
- Amina Haruna
- Fatima Adamu
- Khadija Mai Sale
- Khadija Ali
- Habiba Musa Jakana
- 59 Fatima Bukar
- Hajara Gidado
- Maryam Basiru
- Fatima Usman
- Maryam Ibrahim
- Leah Sherubu
- Aisha Alh. Deri
- Fatima Hassan Mustapha
- Zainab Manu
- Zara Tijjani
- Zainab Bukar Abba
- Hauwa Saidu Abubakar
- Karima Inusa
- Amina A. Abubakar
- Yakura Sani
- Rabi Yahaya Tela
- Hajara Yahaya Tela
- Marya Mustapha
- Aisha Abdullahi
- Maryam Adamu Mohammed
- Bintu Usman
- Fatsuma Mohammed
- Salamatu Isiyaku
- Hauwa Lawan
- Aisha B. Danjuma
- Aisha Moh’D Jakusko
- Hauwa Bulama
- Fatima Abubakar Jambo
- Walida Adamu
- Fanna Mohammed
- Aisha M. Bukar
- Maryam Usman
- Aisha Abba Aji
- Maryam Usman
- Maimuna A. Hassan
- Zara Musa
- Maryam Mohammed Kaku
- Khadija Suleiman
- Habiba Nuhu Dan Inu
- Fatima Isiyaku Aliyu
- Sahura Jibir Mohammed
- Khadija Grema Dabuwa
- Zara Grema Dabuwa
- Zara Mohammed Lawan
- Fatima Mohammed
- Fati Modu Aisami
- Fatsuma Alli
