The president gave the assurance during a closed door discussions with relations and relatives of the abducted girls, after he had briefed them on the steps the administration had taken to ensure the release of the girls from captivity.
Speaking through the Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, at a meeting which had in attendance parents, families of the girls, as well as leaders of Chibok community, in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Thursday, President Jonathan said “we believe that by the grace of God, your children will return safely.”
The president, while appearing on an Africa Independent Television (AIT) live discussion programme, Kaakaki, in Abuja, on Thursday, also assured that the schoolgirls had not been killed by their captors, who would have been too happy to display their corpses for propaganda purposes.
He regretted that though the military were recording a lot of successes in the war against terror, Boko Haram terrorists’ activities had festered, because they were underestimated in the beginning.
However, he was confident that with the the military now having 65 per cent of the platform needed to prosecute the war, the remaining territories still in the hands of the insurgents would soon be liberated.
The president particularly noted that the territories yet to be recovered from the terrorists in Adamawa and Yobe states were likely to be recaptured in the next few days.
On why the Chibok girls had not been found in spite of the military successes, he said “we still have reasonable territories in the hands of the Boko Haram sect.
“We promise that we must get the girls. The good story is that they have not killed them, because when terrorists kill, they display. They use it to intimidate the whole society. They girls are alive. We will get them. Luckily, we are narrowing down the areas of their control. So, we will get them.”
Jonathan explained that the military had been reluctant to move in with full force because of the tendency of terrorists to use captives as human shield, saying “that is why the pace had to be slow.”
Asked why it took so long for military successes to come against Boko Haram, he replied: “Yes, agreed that at the beginning, probably we did not really (correctly) estimate the capacity of the Boko Haram sect. It is obvious. Boko Haram started as a non-violence group, led by Yusuf, limited to Maiduguri and Yobe. They did not even get to Adamawa.
“Just like every group of youths or young people is inclined to criminality over the period, they expanded their network and linked up with other terrorist organisations like in the North Africa, the Al-Qaeda and other similar brands in the world.
“So, they continued to build their capacity and it got to a point to know that for you to tackle them in the kind of environment they operate, you need some specialised equipment and we don’t manufacture these equipment now.”
He said the government encountered some difficulties at the beginning in getting the necessary weapons from other countries, adding, however, that about 65 per cent of the weapons was now available for the war.
He expressed delight that the mopping up exercises had succeeded so far, because there had been no new report of terrorist seizing territories, especially with the collaboration of neighbouring countries’ armies, which have blocked escape routes.
Speaking in Chibok, the minister lauded the families for refusing to support the politicisation of the abduction, adding that “your presence here to listen to the messgae of Mr President confirms your belief in the ongoing counter-insurgency operation as a solution to our collective challenge.
“I assure you that not only will the rescue operations be successful, the other three goals will be pursued to a logical conclusion. This is a personal plegde of Mr President, which the entire administration is committed to.”
Responding, spokesperson of the parents and families, Mrs Pindar Dauda, thanked the president for his concern and symphathy, while praying for the success of the ongoing military operations.
Speaking in local language, Mrs Dauda said: “I appeal to President Jonathan not to relent. He should continue with the war against Boko Haram. He should get our children back to us safely. We are praying for him and the military,” she said.
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