Olukolade Speaks On Why Names Of Rescued Victims Can Not Be Revealed Now

After rescuing 200 girls and 93 women on Tuesday from
Sambisa forest and rescuing another 160 yesterday, the Defence authorities have
said they will not be able to confirm whether the about 453 females rescued by
the Special Forces in the Sambisa Forest on Tuesday and Wednesday are from
Chibok or not without a comprehensive profiling of the distressed persons.

The Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris
Olukolade, also explained further during a press conference in Abuja today. Continue
below…

“The true identity of some of the rescued women and girls
are yet to be ascertained. At the moment, what is uppermost and of priority is
their movement to a conducive place, where they are now undergoing thorough
profiling to verify their true identity; where they come from, how they found
themselves in the forest, etc.

“Additional number of persons is still being recovered from
the forest. Until such comprehensive profiling is done, nobody can confirm
whether they are among the Chibok girls or not.

“Whoever they may be, the important thing is that Nigerians,
held captive under very severe and inhuman condition, have been freed by our
gallant troops. The joy and sense of hope being expressed by many Nigerians on
hearing about the rescue operation is therefore understandable.

“We would like to reassure them that the momentum of this
operation will be sustained until that Sambisa Forest is comprehensively
cleaned out and all Nigerians held captive within the bowels of the forest are
rescued.  There is great hope for the
recovery of more hostages of the terrorists,” he said.

He also encourages boko haram insurgents to surrender
because Sambisa forest will no longer be safe for them.