By TINA TIMOTHY

International human rights lawyer and advocate for the Chibok Girls, kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014, Emmanuel Ogebe, has informed the United States (US) Congress that another abducted Chibok girl, Lydia Simon, has returned.

While marking the 10^th anniversary of the Chibok abductions, Ogebe, in a letter addressed to Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, urged the foremost congressional advocate of the Chibok girls to visit Nigeria and engage with the new administration to rescue the remaining girls.”

“On this 10^th anniversary of the Chibok abductions, I want to thank and appreciate for your unmatched constancy and consistency which earned you a mention in yesterday’s UK Guardian Newspaper.

“I also want to inform you of the joyous news of the return of yet another abducted Chibok girl, the first after 10 years, two days – Lydia Simon. It is likely that the flurry of remembrances by activists the past 96 hours in their honor prompted her epic flight to freedom,” Ogebe wrote.

While lending his support to the congressional resolution on the Chibok anniversary, Ogebe expressed worry that although “Lydia’s return lowers the number of missing girls, by some accounts, from 91 to 90,” “the unknown whereabouts of the missing girls after a decade is unconscionable but the uncertainty of the location of 12 “rescued” girls is reprehensible.”

Continuing, he said: “Lydia’s return lowers the number of missing girls, by some accounts, from 91 to 90. Unfortunately, there is a disturbing disparity of a dozen girls between those claimed still missing by activists compared to those claimed missing by the military. This is unspeakably unacceptable. The unknown whereabouts of the missing girls after a decade is unconscionable but the uncertainty of the location of 12 “rescued” girls is reprehensible. This is why I welcome your congressional resolution on the Chibok anniversary per the media:

“While extolling the survivors of violence in northern Nigeria for mustering courage to tell their stories “at great personal risk”, they enjoined the Nigerian government to cooperate with “regional partners and the international community” to defeat Boko Haram and other terror groups.

“In its third demand, the congress also urged the Nigerian government to: prioritise the recovery of women and girls who have been abducted and enslaved by Boko Haram;” work to determine the whereabouts of the thousands of missing people in Nigeria and provide a full accounting of the number of missing girls; undertake concrete efforts to reduce the stigmatisation and marginalisation of those abducted by Boko Haram and provide counselling and support; allow women and girls to be reunited with their families whenever appropriate and accept international assistance in a timely manner when offered.

“In addition, the U.S. House said it encourages “continued efforts by the U.S. Government to defeat Boko Haram and related terrorist groups through development and security partnerships with Nigeria and other regional partners.”

“The congress also called on the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Defence to “rapidly implement the 5-year regional strategy required under Public Law 114–266 to address the grievous threat posed by Boko Haram and other violent extremist organisations.”

“Lastly, it requests that the U.S. Department of State “track and report the number of missing persons kidnapped by Boko Haram and include such information in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report.”

Ogebe, who is also the Special Counsel, Justice for Jos Project, consequently requested an investigation into the CIA Chibok rescue claim, ensure full reunion with families, and review the Chibok girls in America some of whom were silenced from public speaking, among others.

“Congresswoman Wilson, consistent with the above, I wish to urge that you:

“Request a review from the State Department, and the Department of Defense on how effective the US role has been in the tracking and recovering of the girls pursuant to the multiple 5-year regional strategies, partnerships, multidisciplinary task force, fusion center and whole of government actions especially in light of recent reports of a CIA recovery of 30 Chibok schoolgirls in the book The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA” by Liza Mundy.

“Request the Nigerian government to ensure full family reunification for returned girls rather than the worrisome enforced seclusion they currently experience in government custody.

“Request the U.S. government to review the Chibok girls in America some of whom were targeted by Buhari’s military operatives and silenced from public speaking thereby curtailing their freedoms even here in America.

“Visit Nigeria to raise the importance of a full and final rescue off all the girls for the new administration with your fellow female parliamentarian Nigeria’s First Lady Remi Tinubu as a potential transatlantic liberation partner,” he added.

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