TheCable

Lucky Irabor, the chief of defence staff (CDS), says no Chibok girl was rescued in a recent operation in the north-east.

A military source had said Hauwa Halim Maiyanga, one of the abducted Chibok girls was rescued last Friday following a series of operations in Sambisa Forest where hundreds of captives were freed.

“For a month now, troops have been bombarding the Sambisa forest and Boko Haram hideouts in the operations Tura Takaibango and Lafiya Dole, and many civilians are being rescued,” the source had said.

“When the enemies are neutralised, those they have captured regain freedom. The Chibok girl is one of those that has been freed, after her captors’ hideout was cleared. There are many other girls, we are still trying to find out where they were stolen from.”

But speaking with journalists on Sunday when he paid an operational visit to the theatre command of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri, Irabor said no Chibok girl was in the custody of the military.

“We do not have any of the Chibok girls in our custody, so if they are not with us we have nothing to confirm again. It was the desire of the military to the get the Chibok girls back safely and if our operations have helped those said to have escaped, I think we are glad,” he said.