President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday expressed his readiness to offer amnesty to members of the Boko Haram sect that are willing to drop their arms.

Mr Buhari said this at a meeting he had with the recently released schoolgirls which were abducted from their school in Dapchi, Yobe.

“I have tasked all the security agencies to work to ensure that we do not witness any reoccurrence of these incidents,” he said.

“Security chiefs have been warned in clear terms that any lapse on their parts will be viewed seriously.

“To the rescued students, we want to reassure you as our daughters that you will freely live and pursue your dreams in Nigeria of peace and order without fear of violence or molestation,” he said.

Assurances to Parents of Chibok Girls

Mr Buhari also stated that while the parents of the Dapchi girls rejoice because of the reunion with their children, the parents of schoolgirls kidnapped in April 2014 in another school in Chibok, Borno state should not lose hope.

While the girls are believed to have been kidnapped by a faction of Boko Haram led by Al-Barnawi, the son of the late founder of the sect, Chibok girls were abducted by a faction led by Abubakar Shekau.

“I want to appeal to the Chibok community never to lose hope or despair. We are determined as never before to bring back our remaining Chibok daughters.

“And this, we must accomplish. And that will be soon by God’s grace,” he said.

Mr Buhari also thanked Nigerians, who, he said, “in spite of political differences, prayed and showed solidarity with families of the abducted students, during the period of the abduction.

“This undoubtedly is the Nigerian spirit. We can and should sustain it beyond moments of sorrow,” he said.

One of the released girls, Fatima Bashir, who spoke earlier, thanked the president for making it possible for them to be released.