The Nigerian Presidency on Saturday evening said that the information that only 15 out of the 113 Chibok school girls believed to be in custody of Boko Haram are alive.
Ahmed Salkida, a Nigerian journalist had in a series of tweets on Saturday morning said only 15 of the remaining 113 abducted Chibok schoolgirls in captivity of Boko Haram were believed to be alive.
He said the 15 surviving girls had been married off, “indoctrinated and might no longer be interested in returning home.
The journalist had then warned the government to stop negotiating for girls that are no longer alive or demand proof from Boko Haram that the girls are alive.
However, Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, debunked Salkida’s claims in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.
The presidential aide stated that Salkida was neither involved in the processes that resulted in the release of the over 100 Chibok girls nor in the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls in captivity.
He 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.”
