“Today we feel genuine relief for the release of the 82 kidnapped girls after they survived three years of abuse, torture, sexual assault and rape that marked their imprisonment by the terrorist group Boko Haram,” said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, who has held eight hearings on Nigeria and authored several pieces of legislation to help humanitarian crises.
“Their welcomed freedom is only the beginning of what needs to be a new era that leads to the release of the 113 Chibok girls who are unaccounted for, as well as others seized by the Nigerian terrorist group.
“Boko Haram has kidnapped many more women and girls than the 276 taken from the Chibok schoolhouse, and we must not let our relief for this hostage release diminish our efforts to see all those who are kidnapped freed,” Smith said.
According to reports, the latest hostage release was in return for the release of five suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
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