Barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari declared that he cannot tell if the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists are still alive, the journalist renowned to have access to the leadership of the sect, Ahmed Salkida says he has been told by credible sources that the missing girls are still alive.

It would be recalled that close to 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from their dormitory in April 2014, with at least 219 of them still believed to be in captivity. Clues as to the exact location of the missing girls have remained elusive.

But revealing that some of them have refused to convert to Islam or allowed themselves to be married off, Salkida, wrote in an opinion that Buhari should use state machinery to open up access to the militants rather than say he has no clue on the kidnapped girls whose abductions sparked off the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

According to him: “Most of the Chibok girls, whether they are split into groups or not, are alive, multiple credible sources have told me, and if a deal to release them will weaken national security and endanger the entire country, then the federal government shouldn’t make a deal.

“I am confident that Chibok girls and other captives can return to their families if the government is half as strong-willed as some of the girls in captivity that have refused to be married out or give up their faith.

“The girls would have never backed out of any process, no matter how irritating it is. They would stay on and negotiate hard until they get a deal that will earn them their freedom and stop such abductions so that no one else can ever witness their woeful plight.”