Nigeria's president pledged Thursday that his government would take care of Amina Ali, the first of the "Chibok girls" to be rescued from Boko Haram militants.
Ali appeared before journalists with her mother, her crying infant and a nurse at the Aso Rock presidential villa in Abuja. President Muhammadu Buhari, governors, cabinet ministers and dozens of photographers were on hand to greet her.
Ali said nothing during the news conference that followed, sitting slumped in a chair while a nurse held her baby.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, speaking in Abuja, says rescued "Chibok girl" Amina Ali will receive "the best medical, psychological, emotional and whatever other care she requires" to recover from her ordeal, May 19, 2016. (C. Stein/VOA)
Buhari said the Nigerian government would ensure that Ali received "the best medical, psychological, emotional and whatever other care she requires to make her full recovery and be integrated fully into the society.”
Boko Haram militants abducted Ali and other schoolgirls from the northeastern town of Chibok a little more than two years ago. Activists have been calling for Nigeria’s government to rescue the schoolgirls ever since. Thus far, Ali is the only one of the girls who has returned to society.
Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno state, where Chibok is located, confirmed that Ali was found in a village near the town of Damboa by the Civilian JTF, a vigilante group set up to help the military fight Boko Haram.
Shettima said Ali’s return was a sign of good things to come.
“Two hundred and eighteen girls are still unaccounted for," Shettima said. "But the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, and the recovery of Amina Ali is a good omen, is a sign of greater things to come.”
Not all of the schoolgirls will be rescued. Ali has told villagers that six of her classmates died in captivity.
VOA
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