The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abduction

  • Chibok Girls: Secondary school students mark 100 days of abduction in Ibadan

    It was a moving scene yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as hundreds of secondary school students gathered to mark 100 days of the abduction of 276 students of Government Girls’ Secondary, Chibok by the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

    The programme,  “Missing: A Tale of Chibok Girls,“ was put together by Mrs Oyindamola Ige, a former lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan.

    The students, selected from over 15 secondary schools in the state, appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to intensify his efforts to ensure  a safe release of the abducted girls.

    The programme, comprising a play, cultural display and drama on the unity of the country, was held at the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan.

    It was attended by many dignitaries from the University of Ibadan, civil society organisations and government agencies.

    Mrs Ige said the play, ‘Missing’,  was performed by the students of the University of Ibadan Theatre Arts.

    She explained that the main objective of the play was to use the medium of creative art as a form of expression and advocacy for the release of the abducted Chibok girls .

    She said: “On  April 14,  the nation witnessed one of the worst attacks on the country by a terrorist group when 276 girls were abducted from their school in Chibok, Bornu State.  Since then, the mood in the nation has been one of shock, confusion and fear. While some of the girls escaped and are now with their families, an estimated 180 girls are still missing.

    “Local and International media are agog with the news of the abduction and global awareness campaigns for the safe return of the missing girls have been done as a show of solidarity for their respective families. This unfortunate incident has resulted in a lot of negative consequences amongst which is the seed of religious and tribal prejudices it has planted in the innocent minds of children whose only source of information is what adults tell them or the information they gather from the television.

    “If this error is not corrected and such biases are left to germinate in the hearts of children, it will be a catalyst that will trigger off religious and tribal wars for future generations”.

    She continued: “We decided to use the medium of theatre to send the message to children in Nigeria and children all over the world”.

    Part of the essence of the play is to send the message to the world that not all Muslims are terrorists, “although I am a Christian,  I have many Muslim friends and we relate a lot. So I am trying to send a message to change an individualistic mind set that Islam is not about violence, but people are only using it to perpetuate evil.

    “ I am trying to tell the children that they have to love their brothers as themselves  because Nigeria is one, regardless whether you are a Christian or Muslim. This message will also educate our girl children and parents that they should not prevent their female children from having education. I am a lawyer by training, and I am also a product of girl education,“ Mrs Ige said.

  • Aladura churches on schoolgirls’ abduction

    As the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State on April 15 enters its fourth month, the United Aladura Churches (UAC) have described the act as political. They added, however, that with prayers, the girls will soon re-unite with their parents alive.

    Addressing reporters on their 8th anniversary programme, President of the UAC, Superior Evangelist Olatunde Banjo, said: “What we can do is to pray for the safe return of the kidnapped girls and that such should not happen again. And that is what the church has been doing”.

    The man of God said if not for prayers, peace and prosperity would have completely eluded Nigeria. The church, he said, is led by the Spirit of God which nobody can control; adding that with prayers, God can change His mind on negative prophesies as well as change the minds of men to do His will.

    He said the UAC is not happy at the state of affairs of the country, but it can only pray for its leaders and for a better country. “God loves Nigeria that is why we are still one big, united great country,” the cleric said.

  • Lagos teachers protest Chibok abduction

    Public schools were shut in Lagos on Thursday as thousands of teachers stormed the office of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) to protest the abduction of over 200 female students of Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok, Borno State.

    Some students dressed in school uniforms were also spotted around Ilasmaja of the state area carrying placards with inscription “Bring back our girls,” and “Bring our girls back save and alive,” protesting on the streets.

    The teachers who dressed in a yellow uniformed t-shirt stormed the governor’s office, chanting solidarity songs.

    They said President Goodluck Jonathan’s government has offended them over the death of teachers in Tuesday’s explosions in Jos and the abduction of schoolgirls in Borno State.

    The Vice Chairman of NUT, Mr. Adedoyin Adeshina, who led the protesters, said they needed to consult and consolidate before ending it with confrontation.

    “The protest is not belated because the girls are still in the custody of the Boko Haram and we need to consult before we act, “he stated.

    The teachers also demanded that May 29 be declared as a day for sober reflection for schools in the country, saying that the present situation in the country leave them with nothing to celebrate.

    In a letter addressed to Governor Fashola, the teachers said, “For God sake, why should people fight to halt our forward march to Millennium Development Goal on Education? The abduction of Chibok girls is nothing but a stumbling block to the realization of making education available to all by the year 2015.

    “It is pertinent at this time to call on Nigerian government to bring our girls back safe and alive by demonstrating enough social responsibility and concern to guarantee security of lives and property in the land which is the primary responsibility of any government.”

    To this end, NUT charged the government to take insurance cover for both students and teachers in volatile regions of the country.

    Receiving the protesters, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, appealed to them to bear with the Federal Government and other concerned citizens of the world making frantic efforts to rescue the girls.

  • One month after Chibok girls’ abduction

    One month after Chibok girls’ abduction

    April 14: Boko Haram invades Government College, Chibok at night.

    April 15: Early morning, the girls are moved out. Over 200 of them. Some girls escaped.

    April 16: Nigeria’s military says most of the girls managed to escape or were freed and releases a statement saying only eight girls are still missing. It turned out to be a lie and it admitted misleading the public.

    April 17: Chibok people say many remain unaccounted for and parents of the missing girls head into the Sambisa forest near the Cameroonian border to search for them. On their return they say they did not see any Nigerian soldiers in the forest.

    April 18: Army spokesman Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade  says a report stating that most of the girls had been freed was incorrect but was “not intended to deceive the public.” Parents insist that more than 200 girls are still missing. The military has not rescued any of the girls.

    April 19: Asabe Kwambura, headmistress of the school in Chibok, appeals to the government to do more to save the girls and calls on the kidnappers – thought to be members of the Boko Haram group – to “have mercy on the students.”

    April 23: Nigerians take to social media to show their anger at the government response and Ibrahim M Abdullahi, a lawyer in Abuja, sends the first tweet using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.

    April 29: Parents of the abducted girls protest government “indifference” to the mass abduction, their anguish heightened by reports the girls have been sold as wives abroad.

    April 30: Hundreds march through Abuja to protest at government “indifference” to the mass abduction. A community leader from Chibok warns that the girls may have been taken to neighbouring states and forced to marry militants. He says that 230 girls are missing – another increase in the figure.

    May  1: Hundreds of desperate parents protest in Chibok, calling for help from government and the international community. Protests are also staged elsewhere in Nigeria and abroad.

    May  2: The police say Boko Haram militants are holding 223 of the initial 276 girls who were abducted, after 53 managed to escape.

    May 4: Another 11 girls are abducted by suspected Boko Haram Islamists in Borno state, this time from the villages of Warabe and Wala.

    May 4: President Goodluck Jonathan makes his first public comments since the abduction, saying his government is seeking assistance from the US and other world powers to tackle Nigeria’s “security challenge”. He vows to do everything to ensure the release of the girls.

    May  5: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, in a video obtained by AFP, claims the abduction of the girls and threatens to “sell” them in the market as “slaves”.

    The US State Department says it has information that the girls could have been ferried across to neighbouring countries. Chadian and Cameroonian authorities deny the presence of the girls in their territories.

    May  6: U.S. President Barack Obama describes the girls’ abduction as “heartbreaking” and “outrageous”, adding “this may be the event that helps to mobilise the entire international community” finally to act against Boko Haram. He confirms Nigeria has accepted the deployment of an American team of experts to help find the girls.

    Al-Azhar, the highest religious authority among Sunnite Muslims calls for the release of the girls saying that harming them “totally contradicts the teachings of Islam and its principles of tolerance”.

    May 6: U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted a picture of herself highlighting the #BringBackOurGirls campaign

    May  7: The police offer 50 million naira (£175,000) for information that could lead to the location of the girls.

    In Paris, French president François Hollande offers Nigeria a “special team” to look for the girls and Britain says it will send a team of experts to Nigeria to help with the crisis.

    The #BringBackOurGirls hashtag hits 1 million tweets and US First Lady Michelle Obama joins the online campaign, posting a picture of herself on photo-sharing site Instagram holding a piece of paper with the hashtag on.

    May 8:  The Pakistani schoolgirl who survived a shooting by Taliban insurgents,Malala Yousafzai, joins the #BringBackOurGirls campaign and says the world must not stay silent over the abduction.

    May 9: Experts from the U.S. and UK arrive in Nigeria to help with the search for the missing girls. Amnesty International accuses the military of ignoring warnings before the abduction. The human rights group said credible sources told it that the army were notified of an impending attack four hours before it happened but did nothing. The government says it doubts the report but will investigate.

    May 11: Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima  says he has information on the whereabouts of the girls and has passed reports of possible sightings to the military. He says he does not think they have been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.

    May 12: Boko Haram releases a second video showing the abducted girls dressed in Islamic robes and asked for a swap of the girls with his imprisoned members

    May 13: Parents identify 77 of the girls. The Borno State government organised  mass viewing of the video giving parents the opportunity to identify their missing children.

    May 14: The day is marked with demonstrations across the country and beyond calling for the girls’ release.

    May 15: It is exactly one month after Boko Haram abducted the girls.

     

     

  • Chibok abduction dilemma

    Mounting concerns on the fate of the 234 schools girls abducted by insurgents in Chibok, Borno State are to be understood. The fury and frustration generated by the continued incarceration of the poor girls have given rise to demonstrations in Abuja, Kano and Ibadan by women groups and civil society organizations.

    The demonstrators were piqued by what they perceived as the tepid approach of the federal government in securing the release of the girls more than two weeks after their abduction. They are miffed that even with the assurances from the government after the expanded National Security Council meeting; no visible progress appears to have been made to free the girls. The Abuja protesters issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the government to do something positive else they resume their demonstrations.

    Most of those who spoke especially in Kano heaped huge blames at the door steps of President Jonathan for not showing sufficient empathy for the excruciating pains of the girls’ parents through the delay. Some even picked holes with the president’s inability to visit Chibok or the school where the kidnap was carried out.

    Matters are not helped by speculations that the girls are being married off to the insurgents. Further allegations from the Chibok Elders Forum that the girls have been moved to Niger and Cameroon have further heightened the tensed atmosphere. As each day passes by, imaginary pictures or conjectures of what the girls will be passing through given the criminal records of the insurgents are bound to ruffle emotions. That accounts for the seeming desperation of the protesters to have the authorities quickly secure the release of the girls.

    Yet, there is something untidy in the way the protesters are rooting for the quick release of the abducted girls. It would seem that the delicate nature of this engagement is not being fully appreciated by the public. Chibok abduction is a deviation from the style of operation of the Boko Haram group. Before now, the news the nation would have been treated to is that of the roasting of the girls in the most blood-thirsty and reprehensible manner. That was what exactly played out at the Federal Government College Buni Yadi where 59 innocent children were murdered in their sleep in the most callous and cruel manner. We thank God the girls are hopefully alive. The Chibok abduction therefore presents a metaphor of sorts. It is reflective of the evils of Boko Haram and the dangers in the actions, inaction or utterances of some political elite that have tended to encourage the devious onslaughts of these merchants of death. It is sufficient warning that unless leaders of all hue close ranks and stamp out this malignant tumor called Boko Haram, nothing is safe in this country. And nobody is safe. That is the stark reality that has been forcefully underscored by the abduction of the girls in Chibok.

    The war against terrorism would have become a huge success if the kind of mobilizations that saw protesters in the streets of Abuja, Kano and Ibadan had been applied all these while to show the unmitigated evil the insurgents had been. In my view, the demonstrations are in order but the target was missed. The target should be the insurgents and all those who have through their actions and utterances aided and abetted their murderous activities. Such people should be the target of the demonstrations. This is more so with disclosures from some of the escaped girls that some of the masterminds of the abduction were locals known to them. The abduction of the girls as painful and agonizing as it has been, may pale into insignificance given the weight of atrocities that have been committed by this blood-thirsty group. It can neither equate with the roasting of the 59 school children in Buni Yadi, nor the sacking of many villages that sent many women, children and the aged to their early graves. These ought to have generated public revolt against Boko Haram and its sympathizers. But they did not.

    Those who demonstrated could not have protested against the federal government. Their protest was with the abduction of the school girls. So their grouse must be with all those overtly and covertly connected with the spate of contrived insurgency that has brought this country to it knees in the past few years. They should be the subject of the anger and fury of the women demonstrators and civil society groups. That is the fitting of the issue if we are not deceiving ourselves. Without the abduction, the issue of securing release would not have featured.

    So it is germane that we address the root cause of the problem rather its symptoms. The demonstrations targeted at the symptoms and therefore are of very limited value in addressing the insurgency debacle. Since women and civil society groups have shown the capacity to resist the manifestations of the unbridled insurgency in the country, they must use their network to mobilize the entire country to rise against Boko Haram proper.

    This mobilization is very vital especially in the north-east part of the country that has been the hotbed of the insurgency. They need to mobilize their religious and traditional institutions. There is the need to mobilize the political elite, women groups and civil society organizations to denounce the evil that Boko Haram is. With such level of activity, the statement would have been made very unambiguously that the insurgents do not enjoy the support of the locals. But as long as the local elite continue with their ambivalent disposition to the matter, so long shall we have cause to grieve over the atrocities of the group. That is the real issue; and the real danger.

    It is by no means being suggested that the government should not do all within its powers to ensure a quick release of the abducted girls. Neither is there any attempt to circumscribe the duty of government to maintain law and order. There have been copious assurances to that effect. But the protesters want quick action and quick results.

    However, the battle comes with its own dilemma. It is a game situation with its payoffs. The option to be adopted by the military should be that which will minimize losses in the event of the worst outcome. It is all about rational calculations and rational action devoid of sentiments. The issues involved were aptly captured by the Chief of Defense Staff Air Marshall Alex Badeh when he told a delegation that visited him “We cannot go with our armoury to where they are; otherwise we will go and kill them. If you go and kill them then you will not have achieved anything. But I know that we will get those girls”. That is the real issue.

    And those in custody of the girls know it. They are prepared to harm the girls if the government applies maximum force to secure their release. They will kill them and then blame the government. Public reaction to this scenario will also be very adverse. That is the uncanny dilemma in which the country’s security forces are currently entangled in the matter of the abducted school girls. Those who through demonstrations canvass quick action must come to terms with this reality.

    Moreover, what the insurgents have done is akin to hostage taking. Their intention is to use it as a shield or bargaining tool with the authorities. Those at the centre of the carrot approach as a solution to the insurgency are already beating their chests weighing their options. We may soon begin to hear some bizarre demands as conditions for freeing the girls. Hostage exchange may feature very prominently.

    In all, the girls may not get quick respite unless those northern leaders we have been told the insurgents respect intercede on their behalf. That is the challenge.

  • Abduction: 14 more girls escaped

    Abduction: 14 more girls escaped

    Fourteen more students of grieving Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State are out of danger in Boko Haram’s camp.

    The girls had been held hostage since Monday along with about 86 others.

    The state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Musa Inuwa Kubo, giving an update on the abduction said 11 of the girls escaped to a town on the Damboa/Biu Road, while the remaining three found their way to the school.

    The commissioner, who has relocated to the school to take charge of the situation, said: “I am glad to say that fourteen (14) more students have escaped from their abductors.

    “Out of this number, three are currently with me at Government Girls’ Secondary School,Chibok, the scene of the unfortunate abduction, while my Governor, Kashim Shettima, has confirmed to me today that 11 girls have escaped to a town along Damboa/Biu Road in Borno State after they escaped from captivity.

    “The 11 ladies were immediately moved from the location to other parts of the state to reconnect with their families.

    “The remaining 33 students in Chibok have also been moved out of the school to different parts of the state to join their families. The steps were taken to safeguard them.

    “Meanwhile, with this development, we have 44 out of our 129 students at the hostel on the day of attack on the school. This means that we have 85 students yet to join us.”

    Thirty students had returned from the custody of the terrorists by Thursday.

    Of that number, 14 escaped from their abductors, while 16 were returned by their parents and guardians after they ran home on the day of the attack. The 16 were not abducted, he said.

    He asked parents whose children and wards ran home to return them to the school so “we could take proper account of our 129 students to know the number of those missing.”

    85 of the abducted students are believed to be still in captivity.

    He said that the combined efforts of the security agencies and civilian volunteers for the intensive search “may have piled up pressure on abductors and possibly contributing to the escape of 28 students from captivity.”

    He added:”We continuously pray that all our students return in good health as well as all the security agents and volunteers safely return.

    “We are indeed grateful for the patriotic efforts being displayed by all those involved in the search and rescue operations. We are also very grateful to all Nigerians, institutions and governments within and outside our country for their unflinching support that has remained indelible to us in the education sector of Borno State.

    “We once again call on parents and all sympathises to remain prayerful and hopeful that by the grace of God all the students will safely return to school.

    “Once again, on behalf of the Borno State Government, my ministry, staff and students of the affected school, parents and relations of affected students, I very well appreciate the Nigerian and international media organisations for their most helpful support.

    ” I will keep updating any time there is something new which I hope will be positive”.

  • Students protest lecturer’s abduction

    Students of the Rivers State School of Nursing yesterday blocked Ikwerre Road on Mile 4 axis in Port Harcourt with their school bus.

    They were protesting the abduction of one of their senior lecturers, Mrs. Daminabo Pual Beauty.

    The victim, a lecturer in the Department of Family Health, was abducted on Sunday evening by unidentified gunmen. She was on her way to the campus.

    The students said the abduction of Mrs. Daminabo would force them to shut down the school.

    They urged the Police Commissioner and Rivers State Government to ensure that the victim regains freedom, or else, they would shut down their campus.

    The students said insecurity had become alarming on the campus, adding that this has made them fall prey to rapists.

    The Students’ Union Government (SUG) President, Comrade Nwaorgu Anayochi, said the protest would continue until the victim is freed.

    Police spokesperson Mrs. Angela Agabe said she was yet to be briefed on the matter. She promised to get back to our reporter.

  • Police confirm abduction of Briton in Lagos

    Police confirm abduction of Briton in Lagos

    THE Police in Lagos yesterday confirmed the abduction of a Briton on highbrow Victoria Island on Saturday by suspected gunmen.

    Yesterday, a statement credited to the spokeswoman of the United States (US) Consulate in Lagos claimed that a foreigner was kidnapped at about 11pm on Saturday.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, who confirmed the incident, identified the victim as a Briton.He said the man was abducted in front of his home by unknown gunmen as he was returning from a late night function.

    Detectives from the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the command have been deployed in all the nooks and crannies of the city and its environs in search of the abductors and the victim.

    The police commissioner said: “We have set our dragnet and we will get the kidnappers and rescue the victim. The victim is not an American; he is a Briton and we are trying all efforts to ensure that the kidnappers are arrested and brought to book.”

    Command spokesman Ngozi Braide described the victim as a businessman and a resident of Victoria Island.

    “We have started investigation of the matter and we will get the abductors soon,” she said.

    The US Consulate said on Sunday that an expatriate was kidnapped but gave no further details.

    Its (US Consulate) spokeswoman had said in a message to US nationals: “The US Consulate General in Lagos received a report that an expatriate was kidnapped on Victoria Island on Saturday, March 23 at approximately 11 pm.”

  • Okorocha’s aide held for abduction of Nkiru Sylvanus

    The police have arrested an aide to Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha for his alleged involvement in the kidnap of popular Nollywood actress and an aide of the governor, Miss Nkiru Sylvanus.

    Miss Sylvanus is the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs.

    She was abducted last December by unknown gunmen in Owerri, the state capital, while on location.

    The suspect is said to be detained at the Police Command Headquarters in Owerri.

    The suspect was said to have facilitated the negotiation between the kidnappers and the victim’s family.

    He was said to have been implicated by text massages allegedly exchanged between him and the abductors, who collected N8 million ransom from the actress’s family.

    A source close to the Government House said the bubble burst after a top government official tipped the police on the involvement of the governor’s aide in the abduction.

    Although the governor’s aide was not among the suspects paraded by the police, police spokesmanVitalis Onugu confirmed his arrest.

    He said the command was still investigating the extent of the suspect’s culpability in the crime.

  • Al-Mizan abduction

    Al-Mizan abduction

    • Nigeria’s security agencies must act in accordance with democratic standards

    One of the reasons why Nigeria’s transition to democracy has failed to yield desirable outcomes is the unreconstructed authoritarian mindset of many of the institutions entrusted with safeguarding the country’s wellbeing. This shortcoming was in evidence yet again on Christmas Eve in Kaduna State, when soldiers and plain-clothed security operatives stormed the homes of two journalists working for Al-Mizan, a Hausa-language newspaper based in the state.

    Behaving in a manner harking back to the worst days of military dictatorship, the security team numbering some 40 heavily-armed men burst into the homes of Musa Muhammed Awwal, the paper’s editor, and Aliyu Saleh, a reporter. They manhandled both men and their families before conducting a search of their houses. The two men were arrested along with their wives, although the latter were reportedly released later. This was followed by an attempt to abduct Al-Mizan’s editor-in-chief, Ibrahim Mus, on the same day. The paper’s offices were also stormed and ransacked.

    Al-Mizan’s apparent offence was its reporting of alleged atrocities by men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), currently engaged in putting down the Boko Haram insurgency that has spread across much of Nigeria’s north-east. The paper accused the JTF of culpability in the disappearance of about 84 individuals in Potiskum, the Yobe State capital.

    Prior to this, the JTF’s operations have been criticised by human-rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, in addition to politicians and community leaders in states where the task force is stationed. The main criticisms have focused on the JTF’s rules of engagement which appear to justify the use of all available methods in combating the Boko Haram menace, regardless of whether or not they violate human rights. Unlawful killings, rape and torture are the main accusations levelled against the task force. The JTF has denied these allegations.

    However, the veracity of such denials is weakened by the assault on Al-Mizan and its journalists. When a media organisation is believed to have made false or malicious claims, it is either reported to the appropriate professional organisation or taken to court. The blatant refusal of the security agencies to utilise either option is a troubling reminder of just how weak the country’s democratic structures are. The Nation was victim of a Gestapo-style invasion in October 2011; assaults on journalists are still a common occurrence across the country. The security operatives behind such abuses are rarely reprimanded, let alone prosecuted.

    Nigeria can no longer tolerate a situation in which its citizens are intimidated by gun-toting security agents who consider themselves above the law. Successive failures to confront these human-rights abuses over the years has entrenched a culture of impunity in the security agencies. They are almost never called to account for what are clearly illegal arrests and abductions; instead, efforts are directed towards the release of those who have been detained. Once that happens, the matter dies a natural death.

    The country’s human rights bodies and professional groups such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) must unite to develop a comprehensive response to such attacks on the rights of the citizenry. It is not enough to simply protest or condemn such acts. Efforts must be made to ensure that legal action is taken against the agencies that are responsible for such acts of impunity, and that it is pursued to a logical conclusion.

    Although the Al-Mizan journalists who have been illegally detained were released yesterday, those responsible for violating their rights must be made to answer for their actions. Security objectives cannot be pursued at the expense of liberty.