Jonathan govt secured release of Chibok girls but didn’t publicise it – Reuben Abati

Reuben Abati, former special adviser on media and publicity to then
President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday disclosed that former
National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki prevented the immediate
past government from publishing the release of some Chibok girls
abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.

Speaking while anchoring a programme on ARISE TV, Abati said Dasuki
advised the Jonathan administration against publicising the release of
the kidnapped Chibok girls in order to protect their identities.

According to Abati, "There was headway. We (Jonathan's government)
rescued many of the girls but the advice from the NSA at the time was
that we should not publicise it because of the identities of those
girls. I witnessed it on many occasions. Those girls were brought to
the President.

"He met with them. In fact, some of them were sent to schools in the
United States and United Kingdom. There were strict instructions not
to publicise it because government thought that the identities of
those girls should not be exposed. But l saw you guys making a dance
out of the ones you rescued.

"In our time, we rescued some girls but we were under strict
instruction not to publicise it. Check the records. The DSS, the
intelligence agency, you should ask them. They will have the records."