Date: 2016-10-17

The Bishop of the Diocese of Omu-Aran, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd. Philip Adeyemo; the World Commandant-General, Mission for Africa Chaplaincy, Mr. Edward Taylor; and other stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to ensure the release of the remaining Chibok girls that were kidnapped and kept in captivity by Boko Haram insurgents since April 14, 2014.

The others, who expressed similar opinion, included a Kwara State governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the 2015 election, Dr. Mike Omotosho; and the Operations Manager, Zakat and Sadaaat Foundation, Alhaji Ahmed Ma'aruf.

They also commended the Federal Government, the International Red Cross and the Swiss Government for the release of the 21 Chibok girls last week.

While Adeyemo and Omotosho spoke during the diocese's third synod in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Taylor spoke in an interview with our correspondent on the sideline of MAC's outreach in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Ma'aruf spoke during the distribution of cash and materials worth N1.8m as Zakat and Saddaq to 24 beneficiaries in the state on Sunday.

Sources said of the 219 kidnapped Chibok girls, only 104 were left in the captivity of the insurgents while the rest were said to have been married off and converted to Islam.

Adeyemo said, "Let us thank God for the release of the Chibok girls.

"God has helped our girls to be released. Whatever the method the Federal Government adopted, let us thank God. We hope the remaining girls would be released very soon. The Federal Government should do more to release the remaining girls.

"People are hungry. Let this government face reality, its economic team has failed. There is no coordination between the Governor of Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun. Something must be done urgently to save the people of this country from hunger."

Omotosho, who is also the governor of Rotary International District 9125, called on all stakeholders to collaborate with the government to address the nation's developmental challenges, including the release of the remaining Chibok girls.