TheCable

Nigerian troops have rescued Rebecca Kabu, one of the Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, nine years ago.

Kabu was among the 276 girls abducted by the terrorists from their school dormitory on April 14, 2014.

Yaminu Musa, coordinator of the counter-terrorism center in the office of the national security adviser (NSA), presented Kabu to Remi Tinubu, the first lady, on Friday.

He said the girl was rescued in Cameroon on July 17.

He added that Kabu, who was 13 at the time of her abduction, is now 23 years old.

Musa said the returnee has been certified medically and mentally fit to be reunited with her parents in Zana village in Borno.

He said the office of the NSA had helped in her rehabilitation alongside the 15 other girls that were also rescued.

“She was rescued and repatriated from Cameroon on July 17 and has completed intensive medical screening and physiological evaluation over the past two weeks by a team of medical and psychological experts between the office of NSA and the national intelligence agency”, Musa said.

“Rebecca has been found to be in good health and is psychologically stable; the next step is to hand her over to the Borno state governor for onward reuniting with her family in Zana.”

Receiving Kabu in the presence of Nana Shettima, the wife of the vice-president, Tinubu said she is committed to ensuring that she gets all the support needed for the furtherance of her education.

“Rebecca will be our first comeback story and returnee, she is our first fruit; she is a case I am quite interested in to see that she can go back to school at her own pace,” she said. 

“Rebecca, I welcome you, I’ve been praying for you all night, it is well with you, what has happened to her is much trauma; words are inadequate for me to describe it.

“It is difficult to get by, but since you are still here, God has plans for you. I thank the office of the NSA and NIA for not relenting and everyone that is assisting in her rehabilitation.

“We pray and continue to pray that all our children that are still with Boko Haram will come back home. We are waiting in earnest.

“We have not given up hope, I am sure that by the time she is reunited with her parents, she will be glad. With the governor waiting for her, she is in good hands.”

In May, the army said 76 Chibok schoolgirls had so far escaped, while 107 were released by Boko Haram in 2018.

The army also disclosed that 186 schoolgirls were rescued by the army, while 93 abductees were still in captivity.

It added that between 2019 and 2023, troops rescued 19 Chibok schoolgirls, including 11 last year.