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Tag: Chibok

  • Ogun school pupils pray for abducted girls

    Ogun school pupils pray for abducted girls

    Thousands of school pupils from the 20 local government areas of Ogun State prayed fervently yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital, for the release of the over 200 abducted Chibok school girls.

    The girls were seized in their hostels and taken away by their captors on April 15. They have not been found.

    But yesterday, in a special inter-denominational service tagged, “Prayerful Children’s Day,” observed at the MKO Abiola Stadium, pupils from primary and secondary schools interceded for the Chibok girls, asking God to touch the hearts of their abductors. Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s wife, Olufunso encouraged the children to do more intercessory prayers for the Chibok girls, adding that saying the solemn prayer was a way of identifying with them.

    The pupils pleaded with God to intervene in the plight of the Chibok girls and for  protection from the growing acts of terrorism in the country. Some of their prayer-points, which were inscribed on placards, read: “Save us from terrorism in Nigeria”;  “Save us from insecurity in Nigeria so that we can be good children to our parents and country.”

    Also, Christian and Muslim clerics prayed God to soften the hearts of the insurgents and release the girls. In his address, Amosun appealed to the insurgents to release the girls.

    He noted that the activities of Boko Haram sect were at variance with the doctrines of any religion, saying violence will not bring anything good.

    Amosun said: “Nothing can ever be resolved with killing innocent souls. Hence we have set aside today to pray for the over 200 girls that were abducted 43 days ago. We have decided that today will not be for fanfare. We thank God that we are here today to offer our prayers. We cannot be celebrating knowing those girls are away from their parents; only God knows what is happening to them.”

    The governor, who assured students of their safety and welfare in the state, advised them not to indulge in acts that could dent their image.

  • Children’s Day: Prayers, protests for Chibok girls

    Children’s Day: Prayers, protests for Chibok girls

    No fewer than six organisations stormed the Lagos House at Alausa, Ikeja, to protest yesterday the abduction of the over 200 Chibok school girls.

    Carrying placards with various inscriptions, they lamented the government’s failure to arrest the situation. The groups include Centre for Global Peace Initiative (CGPI), The Young Muslims Association (TYMA), Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) and Al-Mu’minaat Social Advocacy Project (SAP).

    The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, who met with them, received their protest letters on behalf of Governor Babatunde Fashola.

    CGPI Convener Shakiru Yekinni noted the government’s failure to stop Boko Haram.

    He said: “We as a collective of Muslim organisations condemn in  strongest term this heinous crime, and also express our disappointment at the manner in which the issue was previously handled by the Federal Government until recent external intervention. We say with every emphasis that acts of abduction, killing, kidnapping, wanton destruction and terrorism are all alien to Islam – both in letter and spirit.

    We affirm that these acts constitute not only crimes against humanity, but also crimes against Allah and His religion, for Allah Has ordained that to kill a soul is likeable to killing the entire humanity. We say likewise that Boko Haram and its ideology of forceful conversion of people away from their religion runs counter to the dictate of Islam which affirms that ‘Let there be no compulsion in religion, for truth is clear and distinct from error…’. We also reiterate that Islam forbids spreading evil and corruption in the land and recommends appropriate punishments for harbingers of evil and destruction like the Boko Haram sect.”

    The group expressed sadness over the incessant loss of lives and the destruction of properties on a scale unprecedented in the country.

    The TYMA national coordinator Abdulazeez Ajala said the abduction explains the long-time neglect and insensitivity of successive governments to the plight of the child. According to him, “It is the child of neglect and destitution, completely bereft of morals that can be easily bought, as an adult, to wage war against the society he belongs. It is shameful that this kind of crime occurs in a country endowed with abundant human and material resources. If the government of Nigeria values the lives and wellbeing of her citizens, it would have put security apparatus in place to nib insurgency at the bud ab initio. Why would it require, the intervention of any foreign country to search for the girls? Where are the forces and the Police? Should government blame an individual or group for its ineffectiveness? The leader of South Korea who resigned because of the lives lost in a shipwreck is a shining example of a sincere leader.  The love of power and affluence by our leaders has helped in hardening their conscience while hiding under sectionalism such as religion and ethnicity.”

    Ajala said Boko Haram neither represents Islam nor Muslims in Nigeria. “We believe that the aggravation of its devilish activities in  recent times is the handiwork of some elements who have selfish agenda to gain in a war-torn Nigeria. We fervently pray Allah to expose and shame all the perpetrators of the devilish act. We implore politicians and those who are aspiring for public offices to redirect their attention to the purpose of governance – providing basic welfare and security for its citizenry,” he said.

    AFED president Esther Dada,  urged government to stop playing politics the with the lives of the abducted girls. Mrs Dada said it is high time government accounted for the trillions of  naira budgeted for security over the years with nothing to show for it. The girls, she said, must be unconditionally released without payment of ransom. She appealed to Nigerians to keep praying for the return of the girls, alive and safe.

    The SAP coordinator Mrs. Sherifah Yusuf-Ajibade said the abduction of girls seeking education and the inability of government to secure their release had sent shivers down the spine of both mothers and girl-children. She said the act can negatively impact on the girl-child education which is a prerequisite for attainment of a number of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). “This goal will be attained once we are able to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, and in all levels of education no later than 2015, particularly in Northern Nigeria where education has not been given the necessary attention,” she said.

    Mrs. Yusuf-Ajibade urged President Goodluck Jonathan and his team to act urgently. “The position of Islam is not obscure on education for both males and females. Islam is pro-education and not anti-education. Boko Haram is not Islam and Boko Haram does not represent Islam or Muslims. We as women and mothers will not stop at street protests to demand for action. We will mobilise, organise and fight for the protection of the rights of the girl-child in Nigeria. We will in this instance not relent until this government does what is expected of it: to apprehend the perpetrators and rescue the girls,” she said.

     

  • Protesters ‘occupy Lagos road’ for Chibok girls’ release

    Protesters ‘occupy Lagos road’ for Chibok girls’ release

    Lagos road’ for Chibok girls’ release

    There was a heavy traffic gridlock yesterday on the Lagos-Ikorodu Road when protesters, under the aegis of Nigerians United Against Terrorism, protested the continued detention of the Chibok schoolgirls by the Boko Haram sect.

    The protesters called for the immediate release of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted over a month ago in Chibok, Borno State.

    The protest took off from the Ikeja Military Cantonment at Maryland and headed to the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota.

    The protesters wore red T-shirts with the message: “Boko Haram: Release Our Girls Now”.

    They included notable Hollywood actors and actresses, directors, producers, clerics, women and youths.

    Some Nollywood actresses, under the aegis of Nollywood Actresses for Change, were among the protesters who defied the early hour traffic for the rally.

    Among the protesters were Mrs Gloria Young, Mrs Rachael Oniga, Ms Florence Oname and Mrs Toyin Adewale.

    They displayed placards with various inscriptions, such as “#Boko Haram Release Our Girls Now” and “Nigerians, say no to Terrorism”.

    The protesters urged the Chibok girls’ abductors to release them unconditionally.

    Rachael Oniga, who addressed reporters during the rally, discredited the globally acclaimed #BringBackOurGirls campaign, led by the former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwezili and other rights activists.

    The frontline actress said the right slogan should be “#Boko Haram, Release Our Girls Now.”

    Oniga, who was supported by other Noollywood actresses, added: “Nigerians need to support the government in the search for the girls.”

    The actress did not say whether or not the government should swap the abducted girls for the insurgents’ members in its custody.

    She said the protesters “believed that with the support of Nigerians for the government the girls may soon be released”.

    The protesters also had a 20-minute prayer session for the release of the Chibok girls.

    They said the only option left for Nigerians was to seek divine intervention for the government’s search to succeed.

    Mrs Young explained that “the prayers were meant to seek God’s intervention and ensure the girls’ release”.

    The Secretary of the Nigeria United Against Terrorism, Ms Titilola Kazeem, said she would not “want to imagine the frame of mind of the parents”.

    She added: “It is a terrible and very painful thing. But you see, we are powerless and defenceless. So, we have to call for government’s support in the fight against terrorism; plead with the Chibok girls’ abductors to release them and pray to God for divine intervention.”

     

  • Chibok abduction: Documents fault WAEC, Police claims

    Chibok abduction: Documents fault WAEC, Police claims

    The government of Borno State took preemptive steps to avert any security breach in Chibok abduction: Documents fault WAEC, Police claims
    and all centres for the Senior School Certificate Examinations, according to documents from the authorities.

    The state alerted the police on the need to protect examination centres in Maiduguri, Biu, Askira, Lassa, Chibok and Auno.

    Also, contrary to the claim of the Head, National Office of WAEC in Nigeria, Mr. Charles Eguridu, there was no time the agency specifically requested for a special security cover for Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok where the 276 girls were abducted on April 15.

    Eguridu  told reporters that WAEC had specifically warned that Chibok wasn’t safe for the May/June 2014 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) but that Governor Kashim Shettima overruled the warning.

    But Shettima was away for a meeting of Northern governors with the United States Government when WAEC alleged that it raised the alarm on Chibok.

    Details of event before the abduction girls are in some documents obtained by our correspondent. They show that some agencies may have been lying.

    According to sources, while WAEC called for adequate security measures for examination centres, it did not single out Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok for any extra-security arrangement.

    WAEC’s letter to the state government did not give any warning that GGSS Chibok was unsafe.

    A copy of March 19 letter, signed by the Zonal Coordinator of WAEC, F.M Gaiya (on behalf of the national headquarters of WAEC) gave an insight into what the examinations body said about security challenges in Borno State.

    The letter, titled “Urgent intervention towards the conduct of the May/June 2014 WASSCE in Borno State”, and directed to Deputy Governor Zannah Umar Mustapha, said:  “ Your Excellency (Deputy Governor), following my visit to your office with the Honourable Commissioner for Education in the presence of the Director, ERC on ways of conducting a hitch free 2014 WASSCE in the state, I wish to passionately make the following request for the duration of the examination (copy of time table attached).

    “Provision of three (3) pick up vehicles to convey security (sensitive exam) materials on three routes from Maiduguri-Biu (daily); Maiduguri-Auno (daily) and Maiduguri to Askira-Lassa-Chibok (twice weekly).

    “Armed escorts for each route. Adequate security for the examination centres in Maiduguri, Biu, Askira, Lassa and Chibok.

    “In addition, I am pleading for the provision of two houses for the Deputy Registrar/Zonal coordinator and his assistant who have been hobbling from hotel to hotel as a result of the prevailing security situation in the state. Thanking you for your anticipated approval.”

    Based on the letter, the state government alerted Commissioner of Police Lawal Tanko on WAEC’s security needs.

    The state, in a March 20 letter, signed by the Chief Admin Officer, Special Services (Security) at the Government House in Maiduguri, M.M Gana, requested for security  for all examination centres, including Chibok, throughout the duration of the May/June 2014 WASSCE examinations.

    The letter was contrary to the Police Commissioner’s claim at the Presidential Villa on May 2, that the police in Borno State was only required to provide security at the Government Secondary School, Chibok during the day time whereas the abduction took place at night.

    The disclosure made the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, at the meeting, to exonerate the police of any blame.

    She said the police carried out the job demanded of them by the state government.

    Gana’s letter to the Police Commissioner was also titled “Urgent intervention towards the conduct of the May/June 2014 WASSCE in Borno State.”

    The letter said: “Report reaching this office from the office of the zonal coordinator of WASSCE with reference NO: MD/ZO/OA/10/203 dated 19th March, 2014 on the above subject matter requesting the intervention of the State Government for the smooth conduct of the 2014 WASSCE in the State (photocopy attached).

    “ It could be recalled that last year’s WASSCE in the State suffered a setback due to the activities of Boko Haram insurgency. In some centres, students missed examinations, some wrote the examinations in haste and fear while others were unable to even sit for some of the examination. In the light of the above, I am directed to make the following requests for the duration of the examinations. Attached is a copy of the examination time table for guidance.

    “Provision of three (3) police pick up vehicles to convey security men on three routes from Maiduguri-Biu (daily); Maiduguri-Auno (daily) and Maiduguri to Askira-Lassa-Chibok (twice weekly).

    “Provision of armed escorts for each route. Adequate security for the examination centres in Maiduguri, Biu, Askira, Lassa, Chibok and Auno.

    “I am further directed to add that government would arrange three official vehicles for the conveyance of the security/examination materials, one to each of the routes while police would contribute three police patrol vehicles and escort to each route. Thank you for the usual cooperation.”

    A source who spoke in confidence also faulted the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, for claiming that the ministry warned the state against conducting examinations in Chibok.

    The source said: “A letter sent from the office of Minister of State for Education which the supervising Minister claimed he used in warning the Borno State Government against conducting the WASSCE in Chibok was said to have focused entirely on Unity Schools, requesting the Borno State Government to move final year students from all federal colleges in the State to collapse them in Maiduguri for the May/June exams, given their relatively fewer number compared to those of Borno.

    “By the letter, the Minister keyed into the model adopted by Borno’s government, which collapsed students in fewer examination centres as against over one hundred located in over 80 public secondary schools and private schools across the state.

    “The Minister neither has controlling or advisory powers over schools owned by Borno State Government and as such he couldn’t have directed the Borno Government not to conduct exams in Chibok.

    “Mr. Nyesom Wike was last week reported saying he wrote advising Borno not to hold examinations in Chibok. There was nothing like that.

    “You  can see that these correspondences contradict the first terms of reference of the Presidential Fact-Finding Committee which was that the committee should establish circumstances why GGSS Chibok was opened when others were closed.

    “WAEC clearly knew that not only GGSS Chibok was opened for examinations.”

    A source, who pleaded no to be named because he is not permitted to speak officially, added: “Also relating to the Chibok incident,  a document showed that  WAEC had written another letter to Borno State Government with reference number MD/ZO/OA/10/204, dated May 10, 2014 requesting for financial assistance.

    “Titled ‘May/June 2014 WASSCE-logistics for conduct of examinations’, signed by the WAEC zonal coordinator, F.M. Gaiya , the body made a submission to the Borno State Government demanding the release of N1, 668,000(one million six hundred and sixty eight thousand Naira) out of which the state government released N1,500,00( One million, five hundred thousand Naira )which the zonal coordinator received.

    “All the correspondences seem to suggest that both the WAEC and the Borno State Government did not anticipate security challenges in Chibok.”

  • ‘Disabled’ pupils seek girls’ rescue

    Some physically challenged pupils have joined other Nigerians and the rest of the world to call for the release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

    They were among the scores of pupils who celebrated yesterday’s Children’s Day in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The physically challenged pupils, under the aegis of Star Children Development Initiative, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), walked round parts of Ibadan to show their displeasure with the abducted Chibok schoolgirls on April 14.

    They reconvened at the Olubadan Estate playground for proper Children’s Day celebration, after their rally.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Disability, Prince Paul Adelabu, expressed worry over the abduction of the innocent schoolgirls.

    He hailed the founder of the NGO, Mrs. Grace Abimbola, for taking such initiative to educate the Federal Government and the rest of the world to bring back the abducted girls.

     

  • Protesters were paid, says organiser

    Protesters were paid, says organiser

    One of the organisers of the groups protesting for the release of over 200 schoolgirls abducted from the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, has confirmed that they were paid for the rally.

    The protesters, organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Citizens Initiative for Security Awareness, marched yesterday on the Villa and the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

    The organisers said everyone wearing the red T-shirt with the “Release Our Girls” campaign tag was paid.

    Jude Chabaya, one of the organisers, addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja.

    The activist said the protest was informed by the need of the ordinary Nigerian to ensure that Boko Haram release the innocent girls to their families.

    He said the group, unlike the “BringBackOurGirls” protesters, was seeking the girls’ release from Boko Haram captivity and not the government.

    Chabaya linked the nation’s insecurity to politics.

    The activist said all the bombings, killings and kidnapping were forerunners to the 2015 election.

    He said: “I see a former minister coming here every day to do protest. You see, anybody you see here is paid. Anybody wearing the T-shirt is paid to wear the T-shirt. So, nobody can come and tell me that he loves Nigeria more than me and you…

    “Who is deceiving who? This is a country where we all know what is happening. But the biggest problem is that Nigerians are hiding away from the truth. We don’t have a problem in the religious circle; it is a political problem. All I’m saying is that Nigerians should know that we do not have a problem. It is all politics. So, Nigerians should gather and say no to killings, bombings and kidnapping for power.”

  • Pupils weep for Chibok girls in Enugu

    Pupils weep for Chibok girls in Enugu

    •Chime denounces insurgency

    Pupils wept yesterday in Enugu for the abducted Chibok, Borno State, schoolgirls.

    It was during this year’s Children’s Day celebrations.

    Scores of primary and secondary school children had gathered at the Michael Okpara Square in Enugu for the celebration.

    But their emotions snapped when they began the prayers with their hands pointed towards the imaginary direction of Sambisa Forest, where the over 200 pupils of the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok were being held by the Boko Haram insurgents for over a month now.

    They prayed God to send his angels for the girls’ rescue.

    The Enugu pupils called for the immediate release of the girls and the cessation of harassment of school children and their teachers in the North.

    Led in the prayers by the State Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rev. Godwin Madu and the Secretary of the Christian Association Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Emeka Ejim, the children said there was no room for celebration of this year’s event since their abducted colleagues were still in the captivity of terrorists.

    They urged the Federal Government to ensure the quick release of the innocent girls and prevent a recurrence.

    Amidst tears, Miss Precious Ede, who prayed on behalf of the children, said: “We did not come here to celebrate; rather, we came to express our anguish at the continued plight of our mates in the hands of the Boko Haram people. We came to seek God’s intervention so that they can be freed, because just like us, they committed no crime by going to school. We are confident that God will answer us because even as we are praying, we know that His angels are already at work in Sambisa Forest or wherever our mates are being held.”

    Presenting the address of President Goodluck Jonathan on the occasion, Governor Sullivan Chime denounced the abduction of school children and the rampant bombing and burning of schools, which have led to the closure of some schools and colleges in the Northeast.

     

    The governor sympathised with the parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and other Nigerian children and their families over the death of innocent children of the Federal Government College in Buni-Yadi, Yobe State.

    The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Prof Christopher Okoro, said the government would always protect children from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

    Chime said: “We cannot stand by and see schools shut down, children denied education and parents living in morbid fear of safety of their children. This is an obligation we owe our children in conformity with the rights guaranteed them in our 1999 Constitution, the Child Rights Act 2003 and other international treaties and conventions, to which Nigeria is signatory.”

  • Imo deputy governor condemns terrorism against children

    Imo deputy governor condemns terrorism against children

    Imo State Deputy Governor Eze Madumere has condemned terrorism against children, especially the abduction and continued detention of over 200 pupils of the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.

    The deputy governor addressed reporters yesterday on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

    He said the abduction of the schoolgirls was an act of wickedness not just against Nigerian children but also against the nation’s future.

    Madumere called for an end to blame game and the politics associated with the plight of the innocent girls.

    The deputy governor wondered why some “mindless” politicians were making inflammatory statements against opposition parties over the plight of the innocent schoolgirls.

    He urged the government to publish the names of the sponsors of the violent Boko Haram sect.

    Madumere urged the security agencies to intensify the search for the abducted schoolgirls.

    According to him, the innocent pupils do not deserve the traumatic experience they are going through.

    “It is traumatic and most painful to think of what those girls must have been going thorough. Each time I think about it, I develop goose pimples,” he said.

    Madumere, who is also the Southeast Deputy Governor of the Year, urged parents to desist from abusing their children.

    The deputy governor said there is need to educate every Nigerian child, irrespective of their gender.

    “It is the right of every child to get educated. I call on political leaders to emulate the sacrifices of (Imo State governor) Owelle Rochas Okorocha in giving free education and taking the children off the street,” he said.

    He also advised well-meaning Nigerians to use today’s Children’s Day celebration to reflect on the challenges facing children and how best to tackle them, especially their future.

  • Igbo group urges Fed Govt to rescue Chibok girls

    Igbo group urges Fed Govt to rescue Chibok girls

    A group of Igbo resident in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Igbo Delegates Assembly (IDA), has urged the Federal Government to rescue the over 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls from their Boko Haram captors.

    The innocent girls were snatched from their school in the middle of the night of April 14 and have since remained in the sect’s captivity.

    In a communiqué by its President-General, Chief Damian Inyamah, and other officials after a crucial executive council meeting at the weekend, IDA also condemned the spate of bombings in some parts of the North, such as Nyanya, Kano, Borno, Jos, among others.

    It urged the Federal Government to tighten security to avert further killings and destruction of property.

    The group supported the Goodluck Jonathan led-administration for seeking global help to tackle insurgency and other acts of terrorism.

    IDA regretted the negative effects of Boko Haram activities on Ndigbo communities in the North and other Nigerians.

     

    The group congratulated the President Jonathan for successfully hosting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Abuja.

    It added that the socio-economic and political impacts of the forum would be beneficial to Nigerians.

    IDA urged Nigerians to support the Federal Government in the fight against terrorism.

  • Muslim group to govt: ensure girls’ safe rescue

    A Muslim group, Rahmat Islamiyya Association of Nigeria, has urged the Federal Government to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted pupils of Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. The girls have been in Boko Haram captivity for over a month.

    Rahmat Islamiyya president, Alhaji Abdullahi Awelenje, addressed reporters at the association’s headquarters in Lagos.

    The Muslim leader said the Federal Government should use whatever methods to ensure the safe return of the innocent girls.

    He said: “All the options available must be exploited, because you are dealing with people who are not reasonable. If you are not clever, they may destroy the lives of the girls. Our cry is that they should get the girls out safely.”

    According to him, all forms of negotiation should be exploited while the government should also explore other avenues to get the girls out safely.

    Awelenje said: “On the issue of negotiation, we should not leave any stone unturned. This is because the lives of the girls are very precious to us.”

    The Muslim leader advised the government to clamp down on the sect in accordance with international law on terrorism.

    He explained that referring to Boko Haram as an Islamic group was misplaced because “Islam is a religion of peace”.

     

     

    Awelenje added: “We are lending our voice to the call for the methodologies of treating that sect according to the United Nations (UN) and international policy on terrorism. Islam is peace and as a religion of peace. It is against any form of violence and terrorism.”

    The Muslim leader stressed that Nigeria would regain its lost peace with prayers among the people.

    He also advised the political leadership to sincerely fight corruption to enable the nation to grow and prosper.

    “This association is using this medium to appeal to our political leaders in government and others who control our macro and micro economy to revert to God, repent and change their corrupt ways for the nation to breathe a new lease of life,” Awelenje said.