Lydia Simon, the rescued Chibok schoolgirl, along with her three children, has been handed over by the Nigerian Army to the Borno State government for reunification with her family. The theatre commander of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Waidi Shuaibu, disclosed this information during a ceremony held at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri on Thursday.
The rescue mission was carried out by troops from the 82 Division Task Force Battalion, who found the six-month pregnant lady and her children on Wednesday, April 17, in Gwoza Local Government Area of the state. Lydia Simon is identified as the 18th girl to be rescued by the Nigerian military.
General Shuaibu highlighted that the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014 had garnered significant attention both nationally and internationally, sparking the “bring back our girls” campaign. Various efforts, on a global and domestic scale, have been made to ensure the safe return and reunification of the abducted girls with their families.
He further commented, “Military operations conducted deep within the terrorists’ hideouts have resulted in positive outcomes, enabling the rescue of some of the Chibok girls. The recent rescue of another Chibok girl and her three children on April 17 from the Mandara mountain by the theatre’s troops is evidence of our ongoing efforts.”