The Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Mohammed Goje, has disclosed that all the schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, in 2018 have regained their freedom except Leah Sharibu, who remains in captivity.

Goje stated this in an exclusive interview with Arewa PUNCH on Tuesday while responding to questions bordering on Governor Buni-led administration’s seven years of governance since its inception in 2019.

According to the SSG, the Dapchi girls’ incident is no longer a major issue before the state government because all the abductees, except Sharibu, had been released before the current administration came into office in 2019.

He said, “For the Dapchi girls, except for Leah Sharibu, who, I believe, is still in captivity, the Dapchi girls have all been rescued even before 2019. So, that story is a past one because all of them regained their freedom before this administration came on board.”

Our correspondent reports that Sharibu, a Christian among the 110 schoolgirls abducted by insurgents from the Dapchi school in February 2018, was reportedly held back after refusing to renounce her Christian faith, while the remaining girls were released about a month after the abduction.

Although there have been unverified reports over the years about her condition, the Federal Government has repeatedly assured Nigerians that efforts to secure her freedom remain ongoing.

Speaking further, Goje said the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni has prioritised restoring security across Yobe, noting that significant progress has been recorded since 2019.

According to him, improved security has made every local government area in the state accessible, unlike the situation when the administration assumed office.

“When we came in 2019, the North-East was deeply affected by insurgency. Many communities were inaccessible because of attacks by Boko Haram and other non-state armed groups.

“But today, as I speak to you, there is no local government in Yobe State that is inaccessible. You can travel to every local government area, and humanitarian organisations can also access communities that were previously cut off,” he stressed.

The SSG added that security improvements had also extended to the ward level, saying almost all political wards across the state are now accessible.

According to Goje, “Except for a few communities in one ward, virtually all the political wards in Yobe are now accessible. That tells you the level of improvement that has been achieved in terms of security.”

He maintained that the restoration of peace had enabled displaced residents to return to their ancestral communities, while government interventions in agriculture, healthcare, education and livelihoods were helping them rebuild their lives.

Continuing, the SSG, while highlighting the reconstruction of Yobe State under the Mai Mala Buni administration further disclosed that the government had reconstructed damaged public infrastructure, supported farmers with agricultural inputs and mechanisation, expanded healthcare services and implemented empowerment programmes to encourage displaced families to remain in their communities.

“Our priority has been to ensure that people not only return home but are able to rebuild their lives. We reconstructed public facilities, supported farmers, expanded healthcare and introduced empowerment programmes so that returning communities can become self-reliant again,” he said.

Goje disclosed further that Yobe became the first state in the country to domesticate the National Internally Displaced Persons Policy and develop a Durable Solutions Action Plan to guide the resettlement and integration of displaced persons.

According to him, the policy allows displaced persons to decide whether to return to their ancestral communities, remain where they currently live or relocate elsewhere, with government providing the necessary social services to support whichever option they choose.

Arewa PUNCH reports that the abduction of the Dapchi schoolgirls on February 19, 2018, attracted widespread national and international condemnation and renewed concerns over attacks on schools in the North-East.

While 104 of the girls were released by their captors the following month and another was later confirmed dead, Leah Sharibu remains the only known student yet to regain her freedom more than eight years after the incident.