THE Senate, on Thursday, summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the security chiefs to brief it on efforts to rescue Government Secondary School girls abducted two years ago at Chibok, Borno State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that over 200 girls from the school were abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents on April 14, 2014.

The order on the NSA and all security chiefs to appear at the Senate followed a motion by Senator Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West), which was co-sponsored by three other senators.

After an unanimous adoption of the motion, the Senate urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the release of the girls and that security agencies should do everything possible to rescue them.

It also urged the Federal Government to take over the rebuilding of the school to alleviate the sufferings of students.

The upper chamber sympathised with the parents of the girls and Chibok community, and Nigerians over the incident.

Presenting the motion earlier, Melaye said besides the propaganda videos created by the Islamist group, none of the girls had been seen since their abduction.

He also pointed out that apart from the fact that some of the girls were yet to be rescued, the school where they were abducted was still unattended to.

The lawmaker said the abduction of the girls had greatly affected the image of the country in the international community.

“It is a harrowing feeling knowing that these girls are still at the mercy of such a violent group.

“I am concerned that the abduction has become a myth and their whereabouts an enigma.

“We cannot succeed as a government until those girls are released,” he said.

Contributing, Senator Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna Central), decried the levity with which issues affecting the poor were treated in the country.

He said measures would have been put in place to rescue the girls if they were from rich homes.

“ Visiting Chibok and talking too much while the girls are in captivity will not help the situation. If we are not careful, we will move from anniversary to anniversary,” he said.

Sani called on government to continue to use force and explore the possibility of dialogue for the release of the girls.

Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, commended the Federal Government for measures put in place so far to rescue the girls.

Senator Akpabio, in his submission, wondered why those who led protests against the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan, to rescue the girls have suddenly kept mum, saying they rode on the back of the abduction of the schoolgirls to win last year’s general elections.

“I remember in 2014, Dino Melaye used to wear a T-shirt and he led the protest to ensure that the abducted Chibok girls were released. He was always at the National Fountain to lead a protest against the government. He eventually cashed in on it and won election. Other people in APC did the same thing.”

Senator Rose Okoh (PDP-Cross River North), expressed concern over the condition of the girls, saying they may have been violated and some might have died.

However, Senator Ben Bruce (PDP-Bayelsa East), who was opposed to the payment of ransom for the release of the girls, advised security agencies to continue with other alternatives for their rescue.

He said the insurgents might use such ransom to procure arms and continue with their despicable activities.

In his remarks, Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, blamed the police system in the country for the abduction of the girls.

Ekweremadu described the abduction of the girls as disturbing, adding that Nigerians and the international community were asking when the girls would be rescued.

“I am happy we are talking about it to ensure that this national embarrassment is brought to an end.

“I believe that by this time next year, we will be celebrating the release and not anniversary of their abduction,” he said.

In the same vein, the House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to rescue over 200 female students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, abducted two years ago.

This followed the adoption of a motion under “Matters of Urgent Public Importance” moved by Honourable Asabe Vilita (Borno-APC), in Abuja, on Thursday.

Leading debate on the motion, Vilita expressed worry that two years since the girls were abducted by insurgents, efforts by security agencies to rescue them had yet to yield positive results.

She said there was urgent need for government and its agencies to redouble search efforts in view of the need to reunite the girls with their families.

Villita, who represents Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok Constituency, expressed concern about the safety of the girls, saying their condition could worsen if they were not rescued on time.

“Two years is too much a period for them to remain in custody considering that they risk being subjected to untold hardship, slavery, molestation, abuse, rape, pregnancy and forceful marriage in the hands of their abductors,” she said.

Contributing, Honourable Aishatu Dukku (APC-Gombe) called for collective efforts to facilitate the rescue of the Chibok girls.

She stressed the need to sustain the campaign for the rescue of the girls, whom she said had been denied of their rights to freedom and education.

“Our voices must be heard, as we will continue to fight for their freedom collectively.

“Living in the hands of these abductors means living in a deplorable condition and I want to let them know that we have not forgotten them,” Dukku said.

Similarly, Honourable Onyemaechi Mrakpor (Delta-PDP) expressed worry that female students were being molested, kidnapped and assaulted in many parts of the country.

“This is affecting the girl-child education and some of the girls may think it is no longer safe to go to school.

“Security agencies must take a step stronger and more effective than what is in place to ensure the return of the Chibok girls,” Mrakpor added.

Honourable Abdulrazak Namdas (Adamawa-APC) described the situation of the missing girls as ‘unfortunate’.

Namdas, however, urged the Federal Government not to relent in its efforts to rescue the girls and urged Nigerians to be patient and continue to pray for the return of the girls.

Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara, said the lower chamber was committed to ensuring that the girls were reunited with their families.

“We must insist as an institution that targets are set so that we do not lose the sense of urgency in our efforts to ensure that the girls are rescued,” he said.

Dogara urged parents of the abducted girls not to lose hope, but continue to believe that their days of mourning and despair would be over sooner than expected.

The House resolved to send a delegation to meet the parents of the missing girls.