Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has urged public commentators and analysts to refrain from making “reckless” statements that could jeopardize the release of the remaining Chibok girls who are still in captivity.

The Minister made the appeal on Sunday in Abuja at the special thanksgiving Church Service and reunion of the 21 released Chibok girls with their families.

He said: “There are many reckless analysts and commentators who are not helping the situation. We still have many of our children in captivity.

“Therefore we have to be careful with the kind of comments that we make. We must not make comments that will make the release of these girls difficult or impossible.”

Mohammed said those who doubted the sincerity and commitment of the Buhari-administration to the safe release of the abducted Chibok girls have been disappointed.

He appealed for patience on the part of the parents whose daughters were yet to be rescued, assuring them that negotiations were ongoing.

“When the President said that the Boko Haram saga will not be closed until all the girls abducted have been released and reunited with their families safely, those who doubted did not believe us so we thank God this day has come,” he said.

“This is the beginning and we are very optimistic that very soon another batch bigger than this will be released. I want to assure you that these negotiations are ongoing even as we speak.”

Chairman of the Parents of the Abducted Chibok School Girls, Yakubu Nkeki, re-echoed the minister’s plea by appealing to the people to stop spreading rumours, particularly on the Social Media, that will put the lives of the girls at risk.

He debunked some reports alleging that 18 of the 21 free girls are pregnant even as he denied that the girls were radicalised by Boko Haram.

Nkeki thanked President Buhari for summoning the courage and the political will that eventually led to the release of the abducted girls.