The Federal Government on Friday said that work had begun to rebuild the school in the Borno town of Chibok from where Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped more than 200 girls in April last year.
Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, laid the foundation stone at the Government Secondary School on Thursday on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, a statement from her office said.
Islamist fighters seized 276 teenagers on the evening of April 14 in a case that caused global outrage. Fifty-seven managed to escape but 11 months later, 219 are still being held captive.
Jonathan said in the statement: “We sympathise with the Chibok community. We know what you are going through.
“But I want to assure you that we are working day and night to make sure that life returns to normal both in your community and all others affected by terrorism.”
The government was criticised for its slow response to the kidnapping and was pressured into accepting international help as a global campaign calling for the girls’ release gathered pace.
Some of the girls were shown on a Boko Haram video released soon after the abduction, indicating that many of them had converted to Islam.
Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, also claimed that the teenagers have been married off.
