Some residents of Enugu on Thursday expressed joy over the release of some Chibok school girls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno in April 2014.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu, the residents commended the move by the Federal Government that led to their release and called for immediate psycho-social support for the girls.
The Executive Director, Women Aid Collective (WACOL), Prof. Joy Ezeilo, said the federal government had done well in that move irrespective of the condition of their release.
Ezeilo, a former United Nations Rapporteur on Human Trafficking, said the development had given Nigerians hope that the remaining girls still in detention would be freed by the insurgents.
“The Federal Government should make sure that the girls receive all the counselings and psycho-socio support they need for reintegration into the society,” she said.
Ezeilo said even if the release of the girls was done on a swap deal between the government and insurgents, the process was a standard practice all over the world.
“Swap deal is allowed all over the world. It is done in exchange of prisoners and we welcome anything that will be done to release them,” Ezeilo said.
The Archbishop, Episcopal Province of Enugu, Anglican Communion, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, said the release of the girls was cheering news.
Chukwuma, however, faulted the manner of their release, saying,
“It is a good development but why are they releasing them bit by bit. There should have been a way to release all of them at once.
“We commend the federal government and urge them to make the girls comfortable before reintegrating them back to the society.”
The President, Coal City Literary Forum, Mrs Adaobi Nwoye, said it was gratifying the girls were still alive in spite of whatever condition they were in.
Nwoye appealed to the federal government to ensure prompt rehabilitation of the girls as well as make necessary efforts to release the remaining girls.
“We thank God the girls are still alive whatever may have happened. The most important thing is their release.
“Government should help them to pick up from where they stopped,” Nwoye said.
