Today is 517 days of abduction of Chibok girls. Since their abduction on April 14, 2014, there is no true information of their whereabouts, despite governments’ efforts. But since the 500th day, many activities have been taking place to remember the girls and seek their release. Senior Correspondent, ONYEWUCHI OJINNAKA, writes.
August 27 marked the 500 days of abduction of about 276 innocent school girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State, by terrorists right inside their school. Out of the stated number, 57 of them reportedly managed to escape, leaving 219 girls in the enclave of their captors.
Since the unfortunate abduction of these girls, civil society groups, national and international organisations, individual and corporate bodies have condemned in strong terms the dastardly act and have also constantly tasked the government to ensure the immediate rescue of these girls safe to their families.
There have been diverse high level advocacy activities since the abduction of these girls, but August 27 was a specific milestone in the campaign against the abduction. Milestone because Nigerians never envisaged that these girls would remain captive up to this time.
Week of Action
Recently, the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) campaign group led by Oby Ezekwesili and Hadiza Bala Usman rolled out a week-long activities tagged ‘Global Week of Action’ to commemorate 500 days in captivity of Chibok girls. The activities, which commenced on August 21, were rounded off on August 27.
During the week-long activities, in which civil society groups and advocacies participated, hope was rekindled and confidence boosted, that in no distant time the girls would return. These hope and confidence are anchored on some pragmatic steps taken by the government recently, especially the deadline of December 2015 given by President Muhammadu Buhari to the service chiefs to ensure that terrorists are disorganised and flushed out from the country. It is also noted that the military has taken that order hook, line and sinker to decimate the terrorists in the country.
Friday, August 21, which began the Global Week of Action has its theme as ‘500 days in Captivity, Chibok Girls Crying to be Rescued, Never to be forgotten’.
BBOG leaders, in a statement, said the girls have become a symbol of oppressed, repressed, disadvantaged, hurting and unsafe persons everywhere in the world, and that forgetting them would be like forgetting all the vulnerable in the society.
“The advocacy for their safety and safe return is a symbol of the defence of the dignity and sanctity of human life,” the campaigners said.
The group used the week-long action to urge the global community to add voices to the advocacy for the abducted girls that have been in the hands of their captors for 500 days to be rescued.
“Wherever you may be around the world, we urge you to join us in voicing out that our innocent Chibok girls who are global citizens are crying to be rescued, that the world must ensure that they are never to be forgotten,” the statement added.
According to BBOG, the world cannot afford to move on without a positive closure on the monumental tragedy that befell the school girls who were abducted while searching for education.
According to them, the week-long action was aimed at reminding the world that 219 Chibok girls who were abducted on April 14, 2014 by Boko Haram were still in captivity and no news have been heard about their whereabouts.
As the activities were going on, various individuals and leaders of civil rights groups, who spoke with TheNiche, expressed their feelings and expectations on the fate of the girls and their families. Some said the girls might no longer be together, that they might have been scattered.
Prayers offered
As part of the activities marking the event, BBOG on Friday, August 21, organised a Juma’at prayer session to commence the Global Week of Action.
The group’s spokesman, Sesugh Akume, in a statement, called on Muslims across the country to remember the girls in their prayers and pray for their safe return home. He equally urged all Christians to do same.
“We call on all to hold special prayers at their various places of worship. We encourage many more who are sympathetic to the cause of our Chibok girls in Nigeria and around the world to join in this Global Week of Action,” he charged.
Akume said it was disturbing that the girls were still in captivity of the Islamic group, but was hopeful that the bold steps taken by President Buhari, would soon yield positive result.
“Although we have had diverse high level advocacy activities to mark specific milestone dates since their abduction, we had never envisaged that our girls would still not be rescued 500 days after their abduction. We are extremely saddened as we mark their 500 days in captivity,” Akume expressed.
Solidarity by CSOs
Also speaking with TheNiche, executive director of Abuja-based Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Mrs. Idayat Hassan, posited that the girls must be going through serious psychological trauma. She said that most of them may have lost hope being rescued by now.
“Commemorating 500 days is symbolic that the world and Nigeria have refused to move on, plus sending strong message to the President Buhari government that we need actions,” she said.
Auwal Musa Mohammed Rafsanjani of Civil Soceity Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) based in Abuja said it is a great concern to every Nigerian that cares about the life of these girls, lamenting that they have been held captive for over 500 days and yet not found.
“As a father, it is a great concern to us. We will continue to demand their release and urge the government to ensure that these girls are rescued alive,” he said.
He urged the government to put every arsenal that will facilitate the discovery of these girls and re-uniting them to their families. “We will continue to press for the freedom of the girls, to advocate for their release and urge the government to be responsive to it.”
Rafsanjani was, however, sceptical about their safety, saying that nobody knows where they are now. He noted that the security agencies are now working hard, hoping that in no distant time they will come out with positive result.
Speaking on the participation of CISLAC in the Global Week of Action, he said his organisation belongs to network of BBOG. “We are part of the network and part of the activities lined up to mark the 500 days.”
The executive director of Lagos based Socio-Economic Rights and Advocacy Project (SERAP), Adetokunbo Mumuni, was emphatic when he told TheNiche that nobody has come to say that from the intelligence report they are in one place together or that they are not together any longer.
Referring to government, Mumuni said: “Let us put ourselves in the position of the parents of these girls who are in agony, pains and sorrows.
“Let us put serious effort to ensure the release of these girls. Government should set machinery in motion to ensure that this agony is terminated without any delay,” Mumuni charged.
On whether the girls are still together since their abduction, he said that the girls are no longer in one place. “That is my concern and worry.”
He challenged the government to tell Nigerians whether the girls are together.
“The agony of these children should be terminated immediately,” he stressed.
According to Mumuni, SERAP supports the coming together of civil society organisations (CSOs) to mark the event and therefore urged government to ensure that anguish of the girls and their families are immediately terminated.
“We join the coalition in spirit and principle in the week-long activities,” he said.
Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Edetaen Ojo, said his organisation did not specifically commemorate the 500 days of the Chibok girls in captivity, but that Nigerians must put pressure on the government to find these girls. “We want to constantly remind the government to seriously locate and rescue these girls.”
Ojo appreciated the efforts of BBOG campaigners who have been using public address system and resources to ensure that the girls regain their freedom. He said his organisation participated in the activities organised by BBOG.
The media director of Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Chike Chude, noted that what befell the Chibok girls is symbolic in the sense that it recapitulates all the evils of Boko Haram. He said JDPC is looking at the events surrounding their abduction and government’s action towards it.
“We are looking at it from the point of view that the abduction of the girls is one out of many evils of Boko Haram. He called for proper and effective government security to ensure protection of Nigerians.
Dr. Hussaini Abdu, Country Director of Plan International, a CSO for promoting child rights and putting an end to child poverty, urges government to ensure that not only are the Chibok girls rescued, but every other Nigerian under the captivity of Boko Haram is rescued.
Hopes dashed?
However, hopes of rescuing the girls en bloc vaporised last week, as President Muhammadu Buhari, who vowed to rescue the girls if elected, disclosed that they had been dispersed and some of them, especially Christians, married off against their faith.
Mr. President made the comments in an interview on BBC Hausa service on Tuesday, September 8.
Asked if he received any information about the whereabouts of the kidnapped girls, he said: “They (Boko Haram insurgents) have scattered them, and (they) are being guarded at dispersed locations. Most of the girls are Christians and were forced to embrace Islam. The sect’s cruel leaders have married some of the girls, obviously against their wish. Others have been left to practise their religion but their condition could hardly be ascertained.
“Both ground and air security personnel in the Sambisa forest could spot where the girls are, but since the insurgents have also kidnapped housewives and other women, no one could say whether they mixed them or how they dispersed them.”
