Salkida’s claim on Chibok girls not verifiable — Presidency

The Nigerian presidency has said that the information tweeted by a journalist, Ahmed Salkida, about Chibok girls is not known to the officials of the administration.

Mr Salkida is believed to have access to Boko Haram, the terror group that kidnapped about 217 girls from their school in GSS Chibok in 2014.

While many of the girls were released through negotiations, a few escaped from captivity.

About 113 of them are still believed to be with Boko Haram.

Mr. Salkida in a series of tweets Saturday, which marked the fourth anniversary of the abduction of the girls however, said of the only 15 were alive.

He said sources within the group told him the others died mostly during military operations by government forces.

The government, responding to press inquiries, said the information provided by Mr Salkida was not known to it.

According to Premium Times, the government also said no such information was provided either by the captors of the Chibok girls or the international intercessors who are working with it.

Mr Shehu said the journalist was equally 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 of Nigeria with it.

“All press enquiriers on the subject should therefore be directed to Mr. Salkida,” Mr Shehu said.

“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 fulfil its promise, that the girls will not be abandoned or forgotten,” Mr Shehu said.