By Sadiq Abubakar
Maiduguri
Seventy-seven of the nearly 300 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram at GSS, Chibok, exactly a month ago on April 14 have been identified from a video clip released by the sect on Monday.
They were identified by their names at an exercise that involved their parents, fellow students that included escapees from the abduction, some teachers, security men and some officials of the Borno state government led by the Chief of Staff to the Government House, Abubakar Kyari.
The parents and students were conveyed to the Government House in Maiduguri to make for an open identification exercise.
Governor Kashim Shettima announced the identification of 54 girls during a press briefing held after a peaceful procession organised by a coalition of civil society groups and activists under the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) initiative at the Borno state Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja,.
Shettima said the figures of those identified by their names were increasing as the exercise went on at the Government House in Maiduguri.
He was briefed every 30 minutes.
Initially, while he was addressing the BBOG group, 36 names had been identified but before his press briefing an hour later, the number had climbed to 54.
Twenty-three more names were identified at a resumed identification exercise last night at the Government House in Maiduguri, bringing the total to 77.
Shettima had on Monday directed the identification exercise to be conducted, insisting that the names of all the girls in the video be established and compared with school and security records.
Chairman of Chibok local government area and other government officials were made to produce the video clip en masse and play it before the girls’ parents, other students, especially those who escaped from captivity, teachers and management of the school, as well as other community members in Chibok. After the exercise in Chibok, the governor directed for another round of verification exercise to be conducted at the Government House in order to cross-check the findings so as not to mislead the public.
The second exercise confirmed the preliminary exercise in Chibok.
The comparison will be done today as identification exercise continued through the night until every person in that video is named.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Communications, Malam Isa Umar Gusau, explained in a statement yesterday that the names were being compared with school records as well as names published some days back to ensure accuracy.
“The exercise continues at the Government House and it is hoped that more names will be established by parents, students and teachers as well as management of the affected school,” he said.
The following are the names of the first 54 schoolgirls established from the video:
1. Agnes Gafane
2. Saraya Stober
3. Hauwa Bitrus
4. Hajara Isa
5. Na’omi Philimon
6. Hauwa Abdu (1st speaking)
7. Magret Yama
8. Shitta Abdu
9. Jummai Muta
10. Ladi Paul
11. Roda Peter
12. Filo Dauda
13. Godiya Bitrus
14. Saratu Tauji (2nd speaking)
15. Ross Daniel
16. Hauwa Ali
17. Hajara Isa (Amira, 3rd speaking)
18. Luba Afga
19. Na’omi Luka
20. Saraya Emos Ali
21. Bilkisu Abdullahi
22. Mairama Ali
23. Maryam Ali Maiyanga
24. Dabora Abbas
25. Kabu Mala
26. Halima Ali
27. Yana Bukar
28. Solomi Pugu
29. Lydia Emmar
30. Luba Sanda
31. Saraya Samuel
32. Comfort Habila
33. Rejoice Shanki
34. Gloria Yaga
35. Mary Nkeki
36. Moda Baba
37. Hauwa Isuwa
38. Patient Jacob
39. Ladi Jajel
40. Abigel Bukar
41. Fanta Lawan
42. Zainabu Yaga
43. Aisha Lawan Zanna
44. Dokas Yakubu
45. Kabu Mala
46. Maryama Bashir
47. Hauwa M. Maina
48. Mary G. Dauda
49. Susana Yakubu
50. Maryam Abbas
51. Laraba John
52. Hanatu Nuhu
53. Na’omi Bukar
54. Rifkatu Galang
