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The United States Deputy of State Spokesperson, Mark Toner, has called the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria to, without conditions, free scores of civilians it is holding hostage.
Toner spoke in Washington during a briefing ahead of the commemoration of the more than 200 schoolgirls the Islamic militant sect kidnapped in Chibok in the restive Borno State.
The girls were abducted on the night of April 14-15 in 2014.
There was worldwide combination of the act while efforts to rescue the girls by local forces with the assistance of their international counterparts including the United States
The Chibok girls are among an unspecified number, but estimated to be thousands, that the Boko Haram has held captive since it began attacks in Nigeria in 2009.
“Well, it’s the second anniversary, I think, coming up on that,” said Toner.
“And of course, we call for all hostages, including these young women and girls who’ve been held by Boko Haram, to be released immediately without preconditions.”
He pledged his country’s support to Nigeria’s efforts to bring about the safe recovery of those kidnapped.
“We continue to advise them on their response to this, as well as on general counterterrorism and counter-Boko Haram efforts.”
Toner outlined his country’s support to the terror-riddled West African country.
He disclosed United States had given more than $198 million in humanitarian assistance to the populations in Nigeria that have been affected by Boko Haram’s continued attacks and terrorist activity
“So of course we’re looking at ways that we can ramp up our support for Nigeria’s security services,” Toner said.
“. But as I said, also the other aspect of this is assistance, any assistance that we can provide to help the victims of these attacks, whether they’re from the terrorist attacks or kidnap victims as well.”
The Boko Haram, said to be the world’s deadliest terror group, has killed more than 20 000 civilians and displaced over 2 million.
