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Tag: Chibok community

  • Chibok community holds cultural festival in Abuja

    Chibok community holds cultural festival in Abuja

    The Member representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency, Mr Ahmed Jaha, has called for deliberate efforts to return all Chibok people displaced by Boko Haram back home.

    Jaha said though Chibok and most parts of Borno are now safe from the activities of insurgents, a lot of people who fled the state have not returned.

    The lawmaker said this during the 2023 cultural festival organised by leaders of Chibok community in Abuja, under the aegis of Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA).

    Jaha said after more than a decade of displacement, it was time for the people to return home.

    He that the children born within the period and those that left their homes when they were so young, needed to internalise and diffuse the culture of their ancestral homes.

    He said that thousands of Chibok people had been living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in different parts of the country including FCT.

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    According to him, Chibok people are still living in IDPs camps and taking refuge in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Nasarawa, among other cities.

    The lawmaker commended the military, state and Federal governments for the restoration of peace in most parts of Borno, including Chibok.

    “The efforts of the government is highly commendable but we are human beings and the journey of 100 miles begins with a step.

    “Actually we have to commend the federal government for recovering some of the Chibok girls but we still have in captivity 87.

    “We are equally quite happy with the way and manner peace has returned to some part of Chibok, but we are still working tirelessly, begging and soliciting for the federal government to provide security where security personnel are not present,” he added.

    Jaha said the cultural event was an opportunity for the children born and brought up outside Chibok, to learn and embrace their culture.

    Also, the Chairman, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno, Umar Ibrahim, commended the KADA leaders for their commitment to preserving their heritage.

    Ibrahim said Chibok people usually hold such event every December 26, where those living outside who came home for holiday, witness the rich display of their culture.

    “It is not only to celebrate their culture but also to strength the unity that has been the bedrock of their stability over the years.

    “Today’s gathering will play a significant role in promoting and preserving our culture for generations to come.

    “The Chibok people are known for their resilience, hard work, bright attributes that resonate strongly with them.

    “Rest assured that at the local level, the interest of all sons and daughters of Chibok will remain our foremost priority,” the council chairman said.

    The National President of KADA, Mr Dauda Iliya, said the cultural festival has been held since 2011 when terrorism took away the peace and tranquility in Chibok.

    “We are holding this event as a stop gap so that those born outside Chibok could see the details of our artifacts, our dance, our food and our culture,” he said.

    Iliya expressed the hope that the 2024 celebration would take place in Chibok, considering the relative peace that had returned to the community.

    Nkeki Mutah, Chairman of KADA, Abuja branch, said the festival was organised to let their children know that they came from somewhere and as such should not forget their origin.

  • Chibok community hails govt for release of 107 girls

    Members of the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), an umbrella body representing Chibok communities in Borno State, have expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the 107 Chibok girls it helped to release.

    It urged the government to establish a rehabilitation centre in the area to address what it called psychological, medical and traumatic effects of the incessant attacks on its residents by Boko Haram insurgents.

    KADA’s National President Dauda Iliya spoke yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, at the fifth year commemoration of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram.

    He said: “We are very sad because no one would have imagined in 2014 that five long years, and counting, some 112 of these girls would remain in captivity or indeed unaccounted for! This situation is unacceptable to us in Kibaku. So, we use this opportunity to once again call on President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to finish up the job of rescuing the remaining girls and indeed all abducted persons from Boko Haram terrorists.

    “We also call on the government to establish a rehabilitation centre in Chibok to address psychological, medical and traumatic effects of these incessant attacks on our people as well as parents of the yet-to-be-rescued girls, a lot of whom are suffering from one form of infirmity or the other.

    “Five years on, we are still calling on the Federal Government to build the 40-kilometre Mbalala-Chibok-Damboa Federal road, which has been on the drawing board for over 40 years (since President Muhammed Buhari was Governor of the defunct North Eastern State) to impact social infrastructure and enhance immediate and rapid response to emergencies from these adjoining communities.

    “On this fifth year commemoration of the unfortunate incident, the Kibaku people hereby express gratitude to President Buhari’s administration for securing the release of 107 of our daughters as well as taking responsibility for their education.

    “We also commend and appreciate the Federal Government for establishing a military base in Chibok town.”

  • Middle Belt Forum denies endorsing Atiku

    A faction of the Middle Belt Forum has denied endorsing the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    In a statement released in Abuja on Tuesday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Forum, Mr. Gowon Egbunu, said there was no time the Forum came together as a group to endorse Atiku as its preferred presidential candidate in the upcoming elections.

    The Middle Belt Forum had, on Sunday aligned with other socio-cultural groups of its kind in endorsing the candidature of Atiku in the March 16 presidential election.

    Other socio-cultural groups that announced their endorsement of Atiku after a joint meeting in Abuja, were the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Northern Elders Forum, Pan Niger Delta Forum and a faction of the Afenifere.

    But in the said statement, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Middle Belt Forum, Egbunu stated that Atiku is not the Forum’s candidate and will never be.

    Read Also: Buhari thanks Ekiti Obas for supporting Fayemi

    According to Egbunu, if there is need for the Forum to endorse any candidate, the entire members will be duly communicated.

    The statement said, “This is to clear the air and put the records straight, that, Middle Belt people are honest and highly principled people who will not sell their conscience for a loaf of bread.

    “I watched with regret as one Dr. Bitrus Pogu, the Chairman of Chibok community in Abuja, on Channels Television, claimed to be speaking for the Middle Belt Forum.

    “There was no time when we came together as a people to endorse Atiku Abubakar as our candidate in the forthcoming elections.

    “Atiku Abubakar is not our candidate and will never be. If there is a need to endorse any candidate, you will be communicated accordingly”.

  • Chibok community to govt: force girls out of terrorists’ den 

    Chibok community to govt: force girls out of terrorists’ den 

    Any freed Chibok girl who refuses to leave Boko Haram’s den should be forced out, the community yesterday urged the government.

    The Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), said the girls should not be given any option other than to return home.

    One of the 83 girls who were released last weekend was said to have declined returning home.

    Chairman KADA, Abuja branch, Hosea Tsambido, blasted mediator and lawyer Zannah Mustapha, who negotiated for the girls’ freedom, for releasing “sensitive information on the girls.”

    He said: “We have still not been contacted, parents have still not been contacted, all I was told is that some people from Chibok, two district heads and the former and present chairmen of the Local government, came to Abuja and were allowed access to the girls. Some community leaders from Abuja who went with them were  barred from entering.

    “The most disheartening and annoying thing is the statement accredited to one of the negotiators that said that some of the girls refused to come out, we dont want to hear that, even if the girls dont want to come out, it is not for him to advertise it.

    “The girls must come out, wether they like it or not, they should force them out, just as they where forced in, they should be forced out, as their mind was changed by Boko Haram, when they return to us, we will change their mind back.

    “It is unfortunate that such a statement will come out from the negotiator, it is very unfortunate, we are unhappy that he came out with this information. As a negotiator, we are aware that there information on Boko Haram that he must find sensitive and not divulge but why will he release such a sensitive information, concerning the girls.”

    #BBOG in a statement read by leader of the group, Aisha Yesufu, urged the government to quickly liase with parents of the girls and cimmunity leaders as was done last time.

    They said: “Our movement has begun the elementary process of verification and authentication of the identities of our released 82 #ChibokGirls based on the list in the public domain (this list alone does not suffice for our process). We shall communicate our full report with the public soon.

    “We urge the federal government to use the Verification, Authentication, and Reunification System (VARS) in confirming the identities of our returned 82 #ChibokGirls.

    “We also urge the federal government to quickly liaise with parents of our #ChibokGirls and the KADA (Kibaku Area Development Association) ie the Chibok community as was done the previous times our girls have returned.”

  • Chibok community celebrates return of the 82 girls

    Members of the Chibok community in Borno on Sunday lauded the Federal Government for securing the release of 82 girls out of those abducted on April 14, 2014 by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

    Across section of those interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Chibok, specifically commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the gesture.

    “Sincerely speaking I am overwhelmed, this is the kind of information that we have long waited for.

    “We appreciate God first and appreciate the government especially the presidency which championed the negotiations,” Mr Ayuba Alamson a community leader said.

    He expressed the hope that every other person in captivity of the insurgents will also be set free.

    “We pray that this will lead to the release of the remaining girls and all the people that have been captured by the insurgents.

    “Our prayer is all of them will be released,” Alamson said.

    Alhaji Zanna Modu the District Head of Chibok corroborated the feeling,

    “We want to commend all those individuals, organizations the Federal and the Borno State Governments for their role in ensuring the release of the girls.

    “Our prayer is for God to give them more wisdom to intervene, so that this thing will come to an end completely.

    “I also pray for the president for God to grant him good health, so he can  fulfill all the promises he made to Nigeria like the release of all the Chibok girls and ending Boko Haram insurgency”.

    Also speaking Elder Solomon Samuel, also a community leader, described the latest released of the girls as a big surprise.

    “Most people did not sleep yesterday in Chibok, they were praying, praising God and some were even shedding tears of joy because of the news.

    “I did not sleep until 1 a.m. because of the report on the release of the girls,” Samuel said.

    He added:”Sincerely speaking we cannot quantify the level of joy in the community.

    “We pray that the next information we will get is that the remaining girls have been released.

    “I want to call  on all Boko Haram members that violent campaign will not help them.

    “It is high time for them to embrace dialogue let them surrender and embrace dialogue so that peace will return”.

  • Chibok community reaffirms support for #BBOG

    Chibok community reaffirms support for #BBOG

    Members of the Chibok community, under the umbrella of the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA) have reaffirmed their support for the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy.

    According to members of the community, the plight of the Chibok girls would have been long forgotten, if not for the #BBOG.

    Members of KADA who say that they are solidly behind the #BBOG have called on the Federal Government (FG) and its agencies to restrain from trying to portray the BBOG in bad light.

    In a statement signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary KADA, Dr Pogu Bitrus and Engr. Battah Ndirpaya, KADA stated that it has absolute trust in #BBOG and its members.

    It stated, “It has become imperative once again as community leaders and direct feelers of the unfortunate incident that brought our land to national discourse to come out and make clear our positions on the recent happenings in the country around the demand for the rescue of our daughters abducted on the 14th of April, 2014, with 218 girls still remaining in captivity for over 885 days today.

    “The advocacy for the rescue of the Chibok girls is not a struggle for the Chibok Community, families and parents of the abducted girls alone but it is a national and global advocacy that must be sustained until the girls are recued alive and reunited with their parents, families and community.  As community leaders therefore we identify and validate with absolute confidence and trust every individual, group, or organisation standing with us in this advocacy and demanding for our daughters’ freedom.

    “In the light of the above therefore we wish to make it clear to all that, we are solidly in support of the citizens’ movement, “the BRING BACK OUR GIRLS MOVEMENT” we have absolute trust in the movement and its members and their civility. We appreciate their resilience in staying for all this while with us as traumatized community.

    “Let the truth be told, if not for BBOG the issue of Chibok girls would have been long forgotten. We therefore appeal to the Federal government and its agencies to restrain from trying to portray the BBOG in bad light for standing for worthy and just cause of demanding the rescue of our innocent daughters, many others in abduction and continues calling for attention on the IDPs and Northeast in general. Our religious principles demand us to “DO TO OTHERS WHAT WE WOULD WANT THEM DO FOR US.” Therefore, BBOG is fulfilling divine mandate and should be encouraged and not maligned.

    “Regardless of all distractions by portraying the movement in bad light, we want to assure all the members of the BBOG movement and especially its leadership that the leadership of KADA and its entire membership are with you. We appreciate your empathy, sympathy, trust, and sense of patriotism as citizens for standing for one another no matter the social status. We earnestly implore you to continue with your good work of advocating for the rescue of our abducted daughters.

    “KADA national leadership also acknowledges and appreciates the activities and commitments of the Kibaku community in Abuja under the leadership of Hosea Abana Tsambido. You have our support. We encourage you to keep on giving the selfless service to our community, especially the parents of the girls and their families which you belong.

    “Our girls are not back as such we will continue to demand for concerted effort by the Federal government and its agencies to ensure critical and definitive focus is given the rescue of our daughters, to that effect we demand;

    “The federal government handles the issues raised in the plea for rescue video with the urgency it deserves that would translate to material and tangible results.

    “The federal government to explore avenue of giving opportunity for citizens that can stand between Nigeria and the terrorists to explore best options of getting the girls back and alive.

    “The Federal government to periodically communicate to the Chibok community (where all the parents belong) through the leadership of KADA what is being done to ensure the rescue of our daughters.

    “We will keep engaging with the Federal government, its relevant agencies and stakeholders continuously until our girls are rescued and brought back to us.”

  • Chibok community to Fed Govt: we want our girls back not school building

    Few days after the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, went to Chibok to lay the foundation for the Safe School Initiative of the Federal Government, the community rose yesterday against the Federal Government.

    The parents called for the release of their daughters rather than building a school in their place.

    Led by the Caretaker Chairman of Chibok Local Government Council, Mallam Ba’ana Lawan, the community accused the Federal Government of making several empty promises since the adoption of the girls last years.

    Lawan, at a news conference in Maiduguri yesterday in company of many other prominent Chibok opinion leaders and parents of the Chibok Girls, expressed dismay over the Federal Government’s move to rebuild Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Chibok, destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents after abducting the schoolgirls.

    The community alleged that “the traumatised parents and the entire people of Chibok community only want their children back home not rebuilding of their destroyed schools”.

    His words:  “It is disheartening to inform you that since the abduction of these girls, the Federal Government did not bother to send delegations to Chibok to sympathise with the parents, instead, the parents were invited to Abuja and conveyed in cargo military plane with no comfort whatsoever.

    “We still observe that recently, President Goodluck Jonathan visited Mubi and Baga, but failed to visit Chibok to sympathise with our people.

    “We also observe that the president and Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshal Alex Badeh, had severally promised that these girls will soon be released. But it is now more than 300 days, and nothing of such happened. We thanked God and appreciate Governor Kashim Shettima and his wife, Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima, who did not only visited Chibok when the incident took place, but also secured admission for the 59 schoolgirls that escaped from the Boko Haram to study in various schools in the country and for all other assistance the governor has rendered to the parents.

    “It is most unfortunate that Chibok Local Government Area has witnessed six different attacks by insurgents and about 300 people lost their lives with property worth millions of naira destroyed, hundreds of houses razed down as well as food and cash crops looted. The most recent attacks were those carried out at Gatamwarwa, Kautikari and other surrounding villages, where several lives were lost. Yet there was no response from the Federal Government.

    “We, therefore, condemn the reason best known to the Federal Government instead of bringing back our girls as severally promised, they decided to embark on the reconstruction of the school,” Lawan lamented.

    Also yesterday, members of the Chibok community have accused the Presidency of fabricating stories about meeting with the parents of the abducted Chibok school girls in Maiduguri last Thursday.

    They said the Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, who ought to represent the president at the meeting, did not meet the parents.

    The community added that Wakil was represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Olawale Rasheed, who also failed to meet any of the parents or relatives of the abducted school girls.

    Members of the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), which is an umbrella body representing the Chibok community in Abuja, said the president’s representative only met with politicians and associates of the minister and then tagged them as parents of the Chibok girls.

    Chairman of KADA, Hosea Tsambido said those at the meeting, who spoke, only expressed their personal opinions, but not that of the parents and families of the Chibok girls.

    He spoke yesterday in Abuja, at a news conference organised by members of KADA in responds to actions and utterances of some government officials they said.

  • Govt told us lies, says Chibok elder

    Govt told us lies, says Chibok elder

    Vice Chairman, Abuja Chibok community Mutah Nkeki, yesterday accused the Federal Government of telling lies when it said that a ceasefire deal had been reached with Boko Haram.

    Nkeki said the Chibok community and other communities in Borno and the northeast, jubilated when they heard the reports, only to be attacked.

    He said they trusted the government and some of their people who were in hiding especially in Dambuwal, returned to their homes only to be attacked, killed or abducted.

    He spoke yesterday, during the usual sit-out of members of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy in Abuja.

    He said: “To people in Chibok in particular, on the day that the announcement was made, a lot of jubilation went on in our community, because we felt that they were telling the truth, that our daughters will be back and we will once again have peace.

    “Only to realise that the government was telling us lies, they claimed that Danbuwal was under government control which made people from there who had been hiding in different places to run back home, believing that they were safe only to be attacked and killed by the same Boko Haram.

    “The government deceived them into believing that they were safe only to be killed. It is a pity that the government is making the whole country look bad to the world at large.”

    Hon. Dino Malaye urged Nigerians to embark on a bloodless revolution against the government.

    He said the government so far had fed Nigerians on a propaganda of lies upon lies, he said they lie today and use other lies to cover up on another day.

    “The same government came out and said that it has Boko Haram in its cabinet. The same government said they have ruled out negotiations because they cannot negotiate with ghosts, now the same government is saying that they are negotiating with some people, the same government came out to say that the girls were found and it came out to be a lie and the same government said that they know where these girls are but four months after, saying it had done nothing about it.

    “Now they have come up to say there is a ceasefire even though there was an attack on Sunday in Borno, 40 women were abducted in Adamawa yesterday and as I speak today, there was an attack in Dambuwal and women were being driven away in trucks and this same government say they have taken over Dambuwal.”