Federal Government not aware 98 Chibok girls are dead, says Presidency

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The Presidency on Saturday said that the government was not aware of the series of information revealed in the tweets by Mr Ahmed Salkida, a journalist known to have access to the leadership of the Boko Haram group on the Chibok girls.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, also said that Mr Salkida was not involved in the processes that led to the release of over 100 Chibok Girls.

Salkida had stated that only 15 out of the remaining 113 kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls with Abubakar Shekau insurgents group are alive.

According to Salkida, 98 of the 113 remaining abducted schoolgirls had died as a result of cross fires and bombardments of the security forces.

Garba however  said “Following the numerous press enquiries on the information contained in the series of tweets by Mr Ahmed Salkida, we wish to reiterate that the information is not known to the officials of this administration either from the captors of the Chibok girls or the international intercessors who are working with us.

“We wish to confirm that Mr Salkida is not involved, on behalf of the Nigerian government in the processes leading to the release of the over 100 Chibok Girls that have returned to their families, so far , and is not involved in the current processes to secure the release of those still held in captivity.

“If there is any information he has concerning the remainder of those girls, he has, up till this moment not approached the government Nigeria with it. All press enquirers on the subject should therefore be directed to Mr. Salkida.

“The facts as known to our officials and the international contacts assisting this process are that the remaining Chibok Girls are there and we are not relenting on getting their release.

“As stated by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, the government is not relenting. We will continue to persist, and the parents should please not give up. They also advised not to lose faith in this government’s ability to fulfill its promise, that the girls will not be abandoned or forgotten.” he said