“Our Party considers this act as wicked, callous and tormenting to use
innocent schoolgirls as pawns in an ignoble script that was designed to
hoodwink Nigerians and orchestrate a great rescue and security prowess
of a conquering general, all to push a 2019 reelection bid, is an
unpardonable gamble with human lives.
“While this failed Dapchi drama remains a poorly crafted tragicomedy: a
scam of no equal dimension, Nigerians are not ready to forgive the APC
and the Presidency for the torments inflicted on the girls, their
parents and the human community worldwide just to score a cheap
political point.
“Nigerians know that the main aim of this devilish act was to delude the
public, set the stage for an orchestrated rescue, create a heroic myth
and false sense of achievement around the APC administration and serve
as a spur for President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration to contest the
2019 presidential election, perhaps in the coming weeks.
“As a political party, we want to further state unequivocally that by all
ramifications, this is a war crime against humanity and gross violation
of human rights on the part of the APC administration, all in the bid to
push a selfish and ill-lucked 2019 ambition.
“There is no evidence that the Boko Haram insurgents or any militant
group abducted the schoolgirls in the first place. Rather, what is
evident to all is the high level official manipulation of security
movements in Dapchi both in the staged abduction and the returning of
the traumatized schoolgirls.
“It is instructive to note that till date, no report has been presented
by the National Security Adviser (NSA), who has been charged by
President Muhammadu Buhari with investigation of the abduction. This is
in addition to deliberate efforts by the government to suppress free
flow of information around the abduction.
“Even the regular Nigerian on the street has examined the events leading
to this abduction of our daughters as well as their release and can
deduce theobvious.
“Nigerians are all aware that both the abduction and return of the
schoolgirls were dramatically preceded by questionable withdrawal of
troops and all security apparati at checkpoints and flashpoints in the
Dapchi area.
“They are also aware that the Buhari Presidency, as the principal command
center of military operations, has refused to come out clear on the
compromising of security and why no arrest has so far been affected in
the entire saga, thus betraying a high-level of government conspiracy
against the citizens for political reasons.
“The PDP therefore calls on the United Nations (UN) and the International
Criminal Court to declare this evil by the APC Federal Government a war
crime against humanity and immediately commence investigation on the
matter. We demand the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in
this saga.
“In the same vein, we join Nigerians to demand for the setting up of a UN
monitored Truth Commission to unravel the facts around the Dapchi event
as well as the abduction of Schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State in 2014.
“While we commiserate with the families of our loved daughters and
rejoice with those whose daughters were brought home safely, we urge
Nigerians to be alert and continue to monitor the activities of the APC
as we approach the 2019 general election since it is now clear that this
government will stop at nothing in its desperate bid to perpetuate
itself in power against the will of the people.”
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it is extremely delighted with the news of the return of the schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Science Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State by Boko Haram.
In a statement signed by the APC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, it said “the prompt release of the Dapchi schoolgirls is another solid demonstration of the political will of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration to secure the lives of all Nigerians.”
“With this prompt release of the Dapchi girls, the APC government has demonstrated how government should respond to such situations. If the immediate-past Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration had responded with the similar alacrity, the Chibok schoolgirls would have been released or rescued. Instead, the PDP wasted several weeks wallowing in denial and conspiracy theories such that it was now left for the APC government to rescue many of the girls and rehabilitate them.
“We assure Nigerians that the current administration remains committed to securing the release of the remaining Chibok schoolgirl still held in captivity by Boko Haram and ultimately rehabilitate and reunite them with their families and loved ones.
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“The Party is confident that reforms that the government has embarked on would improve the capacity and efficiency of our security agencies to prevent the kidnap of children by terrorists and diminish their ability to carry out attacks on soft targets,” Abdullahi said.
