Nigeria's president pledged Thursday that his government would take care of Amina Ali, the first of the "Chibok girls" to be rescued from Boko Haram militants.
Ali, 19, appeared before journalists with her mother, her crying infant and a nurse at the Aso Rock presidential villa in Abuja. President Muhammadu Buhari, governors, cabinet ministers and dozens of photographers were on hand to greet her.
Ali said nothing during the news conference that followed, sitting slumped in a chair while a nurse held her baby.
Ali is being debriefed by Nigerian military officials. Buhari said the Nigerian government would ensure that she received "the best medical, psychological, emotional and whatever other care she requires to make her full recovery and be integrated fully into the society.”
The Nigerian army said later Thursday that a second schoolgirl kidnapped by Boko Haram militants had been rescued. No details were released.
Boko Haram militants abducted 219 schoolgirls from the northeastern town of Chibok a little more than two years ago. Activists have been calling for Nigeria’s government to rescue the schoolgirls ever since. Nigeria's military has been mounting an offensive in the sprawling, semi-desert scrubland since late April to try to flush out rebel fighters.
WATCH: Rescued 'Chibok Girl' Will Get Good Care, Nigeria's President Says
Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno state, where Chibok is located, confirmed that Ali was found in a village near the town of Damboa, in the Sambisa Forest, by the Civilian JTF, a vigilante group set up to help the military fight Boko Haram.
Shettima said Ali’s return was a sign of good things to come.
“The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, and the recovery of Amina Ali is a good omen, is a sign of greater things to come,” Shettima said.
Not all of the schoolgirls will be rescued. Ali has told villagers that six of her classmates died in captivity.
