The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chibokgirls

  • #BBOG to march to Villa for update

    #BBOG to march to Villa for update

    Members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) will embark on a protest march on 1st August to the Presidential villa.

    The group will be marching to express their disappointment for the silence from the Federal Government in for the last three months with respect to the remaining 113 missing Chibok girls.

    The spokesperson for the group Sesugh Akume made this known on Monday in a press statement.

    He stated: “As earlier indicated, on August 1st, our movement shall be marching to the State House to, among other things, express our disappointment and press our demands about our missing 113 #ChibokGirls.

    “For three months since May, the federal government has not given any updates on the return of our 113 missing #ChibokGirls. The parents, families, community and the public at large have been left in the dark wondering. This is unacceptable.

    “Our march is also intended to wake the federal government up, and prevent it from relapsing and sinking into the inertia and complacency it is always used to.

    “There has also been an increased spate of terrorist attacks in the northeast, as well as the recent abduction of women on Borno-Adamawa road which the federal government is living in denial about and handling poorly. Clearly, no lessons have been learned over the years.”

  • #BBOG condemns FG, Military over silence on Police women abduction

    #BBOG condemns FG, Military over silence on Police women abduction

    …Group compares governments’ reaction to that of Chibok girls

     

     

    Members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy have condemned the Federal Government (FG) and Military on its continues silence on the abduction of 16 Police women by Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri.

    The group says it is worried that 13 days after the reported tragedy, the federal government and military have maintained an eerie silence on the matter.

    In a statement signed by leaders of the group Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu, #BBOG noted that it was 4 days after the unfortunate claim by the terrorists and more than 1 week after the incident that the Nigeria Police Force made its first statement, denying the women.

    The group added that for them there is a painful sense of déjà vu that compelled them to issue the statement. Assessing how the authorities have handled the latest incident of abduction, to them, it appears 3 years on, another #ChibokGirls-like tragedy is happening all over again.

    The group stated, “Almost 2 weeks ago, on 20 June, the media widely reported that a security convoy of vehicles conveying military and police personnel was attacked by the terrorists 30 kilometres from Maiduguri on the Maiduguri-Damboa federal highway. Part of the convoy was said to be civilians and personnel of Nigeria police travelling for the burial rites of a deceased police colleague. In some of the reports, eyewitness accounts relayed that 16 women were abducted by the terrorists from among the burial convoy.

    “Our movement is worried that 13 days after this reported tragedy, the federal government, the military have maintained an eerie silence on the matter. The ominous silence is made more troubling when 4 days after the attack and alleged abduction of the women from the burial convoy, the Boko Haram terrorists released a video in which they took responsibility and paraded the women they claimed were the police women, victims of that attack.

    “We also noted that it was 4 days after the unfortunate claim by the terrorists and more than 1 week after the incident that the Nigeria Police Force made its first statement. In said statement, it out rightly denied that any police personnel was abducted, that the women in the released video were not their staff although the statement confirmed that two (2) of their personnel were missing.

    “For us the #BringBackOurGirls movement there is a painful sense of déjà vu that has compelled us to issue this statement. Assessing how our authorities have handled this latest incident of abduction, it does appear that 3 years on, another #ChibokGirls-like tragedy is happening all over again.

    “We recount how a little over 3 years ago when our #ChibokGirls were abducted, there was no official response from the federal government and the military for several days. Then came the news from the military that all 129 school girls (the wrong number assumed to have been abducted at that time) had been rescued with only 8 presumed missing. The military was forced by wailing affected families to recant this wrong assertion a few days after when evidence to the contrary proved that 276 school girls were abducted, 57 escaped on their own with no involvement of the military and 219 had become captives of terrorists.

    “The similarity of that 3-year old tragic episode seems to be replaying itself in that Nigeria Police statement of Wednesday, 28 June 2017 on the alleged abduction of our policewomen. When the abduction happened in Chibok in 2014, some officials of the federal government did in fact deny that the school girls existed in the first place referring to their abduction as a scam. And yet, from media reports, the policewomen were said to be on a national assignment to bury their deceased colleague when eyewitnesses to their attack saw them taken away in a truck just like it happened to our ChibokGirls on that night of 14 April 2014.

    “We recall also another unfortunate in which the Nigerian air force denied the brave and heroic 41-year-old Wing Commander Chimda Hedima after he was captured by terrorists and displayed in a video they released in 2014. It did not end well.

    “This is why we as a movement have always insisted transparency and truth in the manner our government prosecutes and communicates the terrorist war, our triumphs and losses. It is the only way to mobilise the trust, confidence and support of the Nigerian people, especially families and communities directly affected by the multiple tragedies of abductions and deaths.

    “We are worried that while the Nigeria police is issuing denials, some affected families are reaching out to our movement seeking support to advocate to the federal government to mount a rescue plan for their abducted relatives. This unnecessary confusion makes us wonder what the real facts of this alleged abduction are and how the federal government — especially the Presidency intends to resolve it speedily. This is the least respect that should be accorded the alleged abductees who in this case are those sacrificing daily to secure the rest of us.

    “We therefore demand immediate reaction of the Presidency and the federal government to the cries of families of the alleged abducted policewomen and other citizens in the burial convoy that was attacked. The federal authorities cannot carry on repeating all the wrong approaches in dealing with victims of terrorism that it should have learned to handle differently over these many years. Therefore, our federal government must immediately provide answers to the whereabouts of the missing policewomen and their civilian counterparts who were part of the burial convoy. It must also instantly convey its effort to rescue any one of the victims of that attack that is accurately established to be in terrorist captivity. Finally, it must institute a feedback platform to engage with all the families of the abducted policewomen and others thereafter.

    “We also seize this opportunity to remind the Presidency and the military that our 113 #ChibokGirls are still missing, 1176 days after their abduction on 14 April 2014. Since the return of 82 last May, we are anxious that nothing further has been communicated to the parents of those still left in terrorist captivity. We demand haste on the part of our federal government in securing the release or rescue of our missing 113 #ChibokGirls to join their 106 schoolmates that have regained their freedom.”

     

  • BBOG demands urgency in release of remaining Chibokgirls

    BBOG demands urgency in release of remaining Chibokgirls

    Members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy group have demanded urgency in the release of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls..

    The group also reminded the government of the promise it made10 weeks ago of its willingness to negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of 83 more Chibok girls after the return of the 21 girls.

    #BBOG which accused the Federal Government of absolute silence since its promise, in a letter signed by leaders of the group Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu, #BBOG said the group would  be embarking on a Global week of Action to compel further action towards the release of the remaining 195 girls.

    They stated, “With the 1000th day since the Chibok Girls abductions, it may come as no surprise that we will be embarking on a Global Week of Action to compel further action towards the release of our 195 girls.

    “It should be remembered that when the 21 Chibok girls returned 10 weeks ago, the Nigerian government said that it understood that there were 83 more girls that Boko Haram was prepared to negotiate over and that the government itself was willing to negotiate.

    “This was followed with absolute silence which was only broken by the announcement of Rakiya Abubakar’s recovery. It is our desire that the release of all our remaining Chibok girls be treated with the urgency that the situation of a prolonged abduction of young schoolgirls demands.”

  • Hope beyond Chibok

    Hope beyond Chibok

    The girls’ freedom is as unforgettable as their abduction was unparalleled. Never in the history of Nigeria or, for that matter, any other country, had some 276 pupils been seized and taken away from their school in one night. And never had any government betrayed such lethargy and lack of character as that of former President Goodluck Jonathan when the unthinkable did indeed happen, a failing which, some have said, ruled out prompt rescue of the girls.
    Nor have Nigerians ever come up against such an ambitious and bloodthirsty sect as Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the Chibok abduction. Not that there wasn’t anything similar. In the 1980s, the Maitasine riots shook a good chunk of the North, claiming thousands of lives across Sokoto, Maiduguri, Kano, Yola and Bauchi, but the sect which could well have been the precursor of Boko Haram, did not claim territory, hoist a caliphate flag or abduct schoolchildren.
    On Thursday, two and a half years since their abduction, 21 of the girls were freed. They came looking frail and gaunt and had such a vacant gaze that even without the training of a medical doctor or psychologist, you were sure that nearly three years in the hands of their abductors left them not just physically bruised but probably mentally drained. But, bruised or drained, it was pure joy having the 21 back.
    Yet, it was joy amid grief. On Wednesday a blast killed eight and injured 15 in Maiduguri, a city which the terror group coveted so much that it hit it so relentlessly. In January last year a similar explosion killed 19 persons at a crowded market in the city, a 10-year-old suicide bomber blamed for the blast. That Wednesday some eight members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, also known as the Shia sect, were killed in skirmishes across Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto during a procession. The Shiites were reportedly attacked by mobs, which seemed to denounce them almost everywhere they turned up. Clearly, more work must be done to curb sectarian violence and reassure everyone that indeed they are free to identify with any religion and are protected to practice it within the confines of the law.

    The release of the 21 girls, brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government, has triggered some academic concerns. One, did the government swap the girls for some Boko Haram commanders? Two, was money paid to the Islamist group before the girls were freed?

    Both questions are irrelevant, whether the answers are yes or no. In hostage situations, both options are routinely applied provided the abducted are freed. Information minister Lai Mohammed has said there was no such swap, and that the return of the girls was the product of painstaking work and trust on the side of government and of Boko Haram.

    Finding the girls and bringing them back was a task Dr Jonathan and his government clearly failed to accomplish. They doubted that the girls were taken away in the first place, and when they could no longer deny, they just did not have the heart for any rescue. Even when they tried to negotiate with Boko Haram, they came up against swindlers and remained clueless till the end.

    The Muhammadu Buhari administration deserves credit. The rescue of the 21 girls happened at a time Boko Haram was factionalised and a certain Abubakar Shekau had been killed several times over. So securing the release of this number of the girls when no one was sure who was in command of the group must the result of some credible effort, as Alhaji Mohammed inferred.

    The return of the 21 Chibok girls must have forced some to revise their positions, one of which that President Buhari promised more than he could deliver. Some also concluded that the girls would have been scattered, possibly across borders, married off or killed. The return of the 21 offers hope that though the girls may have been dehumanised, in fact, one returned with a baby, at least, some are alive and can recover their lives.

    The best news of Thursday silenced those who said the whole thing was a hoax, a point that was driven home by a relieved Chibok community leader who, alongside his people, was not only troubled by the abduction but also haunted by the fact that some believed it did not take place.

    Chibok, a little humble town, exploded in joy as the 21 were freed. But it was joy that spread beyond its borders to neighbouring communities all the way to the nation’s capital and across national boundaries. The abduction got the attention of world leaders, each adding their voice to the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. With the release of the 21, they have started voicing their relief, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair being one of the first to speak. Mr Blair said he was happy the 21 have come out, urging that the rest be found and returned too. United States First Lady Michelle Obama should be too, as should others who, in vain, nudged Dr Jonathan to secure the Chibok girls’ release.

    Thursday also brought hope that the nearly 200 girls still in captivity could return, and, away from abductions, that perhaps the unflattering national economy could also get a lift.

  • #‎BBOG applauds Buhari, Military, others for Chibok girls release

    …We have been vindicated, says #BBOG

    Members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) group have expressed excitement over the release of twenty one Chibok girls.

    The group which congratulates the Buhari led Federal Government, Soldiers on the battle line and international negotiators for securing their release, state that they will continue to make demands for the release of the remaining 197 girls.

    In a press statement signed by leaders of the group, Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu, #BBOG states that the movement is very supportive of an immediate commencement of the program for the physical, mental, emotional and social recovery process of our released 21 girls.

    They stated, “We are extremely delighted and welcome the news of the release of 21 of our 218 #ChibokGirls who have been in Boko Haram captivity for 913 days. Our hope is renewed that our Government will fulfil the pledge it made to rescue all our #ChibokGirls as well as every other abducted citizen of our country. Now, we can continue to make our demand for the rescue of the remaining 197 #ChibokGirls with greater expectation of their quick return.

    “Kudos to our Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, our soldiers in the frontline of battle who daily sacrifice, the heads of the military and security establishment for today’s remarkable development. We also thank the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Swiss government and all negotiators involved in securing the release.

    “We wish to again recommend the use of the instrument of Verification, Authentication and Rehabilitation System (VARS) which our movement developed and had twice at our meeting with our President offered for Federal Government use. VARS is a process that can help achieve a most effective and credible identification, rehabilitation (physical and psychosocial), resettlement and reintegration of our released girls in a systematic and structured manner.

    “Our movement is very supportive of an immediate commencement of the program for the physical, mental, emotional and social recovery process of our released 21 girls and stand ready to support the Federal and Borno State Government in every relevant respect.

    “Following this development, we trust that our government will continue to work to keep the safety, security, and well-being of the other girls a high priority. We further urge the international community to continue to support our government’s effort to rescue all other abducted Nigerians, so that parents, the Chibok community, the nation, and the world can finally put an end to this nightmare once and for all.”

    Meanwhile, member of the group, Fatima Abba-Kaka has stated that the group has been vindicated from those who doubted them and the sincerity of the Chibok girls abduction.

    Abba-Kaka said, “those that doubted us and those that said they did not exist, God has vindicated us, even when my President said he had no credible intelligence, now I can understand why he said it, because he did not want us to let go and now he has done it and Nigerians that doubted that the girls where taken, you know God is almighty and for everything we say God and God has vindicated us, we will keep on standing, we will keep on demanding until the last girl comes out, this has just re-energised us.”

  • Actionaid marches for Chibokgirls

    Actionaid Nigeria yesterday marched for the Chibok girls. The International Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) marched with 219 youths, who they said represented the 219 Chibok schoolgirls still in captivity.

    Policy and Campaign Manager  Tunde Aremu, said the organisation had always been involved in girl education and belief in the right to education and safe environment for girls.

    Aremu spoke at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, where the group met with members of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy who where commemorating the one year anniversary of the abduction.

    He said: “We have always been involved in issues that involve girls education. We have always believed in the right to education and safe environment is not a negotiable right for girls, we have also been close to some of the communities that have been affected, we work with the socially disadvantaged from which almost all of the Chibok girls come from and we identify with the pains, anxiety and agony of the family of these girls.

    “What we have done coming out is to ask the government to act responsibly and see to the safety of these girls, that these girls are brought back, safe and alive it is not just that they are found, but that they are found safe and brought back to their families alive. This is one of the reasons why we are out and aligning with the larger movement of #BringBackOurGirls. For us, the 219 girls symbolises for us, the number of girls whom are out of schools, the number of girls in danger in this country and the number of girls who are endangered by the failure of the Nigerian state to ensure safe environment, by the failure of the Nigerian state to guarantee safety in schools.”

    The European Union yesterday sent a press statement on the abduction of the girls.

    In a statement signed it spokesperson, the EU expressed its solidarity with the plight of the families and with the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

    They stated: “A year has passed since 287 school girls from Chibok, in north-eastern Nigeria, were abducted by Boko Haram. Though some girls escaped, others have since been taken and more than 300 girls are still missing. We express our solidarity with the plight of the families and with the ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ campaign.

    “All efforts must continue to be made to rescue and reunite the girls with their families, and bring the perpetrators of this terrible act to account. The EU remains ready to assist the Government of Nigeria, including the newly elected President and local authorities, as well as others in the region in their fight against Boko Haram and all forms of terrorism and criminality.”