The Presidency has described as untrue and unfair media reports which claimed renewed attacks in Borno State were as a result of recent release of the 21 Chibok girls.
It also denied that it paid $21 million ransom for the girls’ release, stressing that the success achieved so far in the decimation of Boko Haram in the North-East was largely as a result of the effort of the military.
In a statement by presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, last night, the Presidency said that such amount of money had never been budgetted for anywhere for that purpose.
The statement read, in part, “Over the past few days, some newspaper reports ascribing the recent terrorist attacks in Borno State to the government’s negotiation of the release of 21 Chibok girls, with a particular report alleging the exchange of USD 21 million for the girls are false and should be disregarded by members of the public. This loose talk is journalism at its most irresponsible and its most dismaying.
“As a responsible government that is run on the basis of the constitution and budgets duly appropriated by the National Assembly, we have no such money under any allocation to pay out this outrageous sum of money as ransom.
“Beyond the call of journalism, the newspaper making this charge has a national duty to point how and where this money was paid, and to supply leads as to where the “powerful weapons” were bought by the terrorists.
“From the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the media, local and international groups, have persistently pressured the government to do everything possible to facilitate the release of the Chibok girls.
“During the election campaigns, President Buhari himself expressed commitment to this and also to bringing an end to terrorism in our country. We then wonder why anyone is turning the defeat of terror and return of the missing persons against the government.
“As at the time he came into power, Boko Haram occupied 80 percent of Borno State, 40 percent of Yobe, and a significant segment of Adamawa. Today, the group does not control any territory. The government also has successfully enabled the release of 23 Chibok girls, while negotiations for the release of more, possibly all the rest, are in progress.
“The successes recorded by the government in the fight against terrorism have been a result of collaboration between our country’s various security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services, the Police, the Civil Defense, Air Force, the Navy and the Army. Representatives from these arms of our security agencies were also involved in the process of the release of the 21 Chibok girls.
“It is, therefore, unfair and reckless of any medium to quote unnamed, allegedly disgruntled sources within the military, who now claim that the girls’ release has reinvigorated Boko Haram”.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/chibok-girls-release-presidency-rejects-claim-fg-paid-21m-ransom/

I know that the president media team will come out rejecting the claim.
The truth was that BH can't be so powerful suddenly after the release of the 21 Chibok girls. This is a great conspiracy against the military and the individual that lost their lives during the struggle.

the presidency, military generals and other security personell has told you guys that they can't reveal their bargain with the sect so where the media get their 21million dollar from?

What's new about their rebuttal? Has it not been their usual way of explaining issues?

Whatever they say is just an affirmation of the media claims whether yes or no. So they forced the Boko Haram to release this girls for free? FG never released their fighters, FG never paid any ransom?

jumper524:
the presidency, military generals and other security personell has told you guys that they can't reveal their bargain with the sect so where the media get their 21million dollar from?

Have you asked the Federal Government why they refused to tell us what they bargained with?

A Government of the media refuses to announce the bargain to the Media

Belief this lying govt at your own peril, i thought only Lie Muhammed can lie, now, even our respected pastor has been indoctrinated into the LIE-LIE association.

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SamuelAnyawu:



Have you asked the Federal Government why they refused to tell us what they bargained with?

A Government of the media refuses to announce the bargain to the Media

Why would they reveal such a thing to the media don't you think it's wrong.

jumper524:
Why would they reveal such a thing to the media don't you think it's wrong.

Yeaaaa because it's cool cash and Bokoharam commanders were released

jumper524:
the presidency, military generals and other security personell has told you guys that they can't reveal their bargain with the sect so where the media get their 21million dollar from?

So truly there was a bargain. You see it was wrong for the bargain in the first place. Look at the way the conspiracy led to the death of our gallant soldiers. Never negotiate with terrorist

Here they go again! Can Shehu Garba tell the world why Boko Haram will choose to release 21 Chibok Girls without any ransom, yet continues to kill other Nigerians in droves via suicide bombing? Can he also tell us if the lives of Chibok girls are now important than those of Colonel Alli, 38 missing soldiers and other Nigerians murdered in cold blood by Boko haram?

For your information, stopping Boko haram from holding territory in any part of the country is never a mean feat, no militia has the power to continually occupy any territory without eventually succumbing to the superior firepower of Nigerian Military. Boko haram held sway and hoisted their flags before 2015 elections because of northern complicity including statements made by Buhari and other leaders who tagged the fight against the sect as a fight against the north. At a time during Jonathan's reign, the north was ready to wage a civil war to stop military presence in the north. They only began to realise their mistakes after power shifted in 2015 but Boko haram continues its deadly activities.

Until this govt tell Nigerians the whole truth about Chibok girls abduction and release, they would never experience peace.

Those who carry around a heavy heart due to electoral defeat will not believe anything the govt tells them.

I believe the government but one question that has kept popping out from my head is was the release unconditional? Was it entirely free of charge which no string was attached

the FG has been so secretive about the release of the chibok girls.

If 21 million USD was not paid to BH for the release of the girls, then the FG should come out clean on how much was actually paid as ransom and how many BH prisoners were released as well.