MON, JANUARY 14 2019-theG&BJournal-The #BringBackOurGirls Movement yesterday launched a 3-month Global Campaign, three months to the day five years ago that the Chibok Girls were last free citizens of Nigeria
13th April 2014 was the LAST night the Chibok Girls spent as free young women, the last night they thought they were safe and secure. The last night their parents had peace of mind.
According to the #BringBackOurGirls Movement, this 90-day campaign is to pressure the government to free the 112 #ChibokGirls#LeahSharibu, #AliceNgaddah and countless other abductees before the fifth year anniversary of the abduction, which will come up on Sunday April 14, 2019.
As a movement made up of concerned Nigerians of all economic classes and provenance, the Movement is demanding that federal government:
- Bring back our girls NOW and ALIVE!
- Equip and look after the welfare of our police and our troops
- Give our children safe and secure schools
- Properly rehabilitate those who have been victims of conflict or crisis
- Respond QUICKLY whenever something bad happens to our citizens, and
- Communicate about what they are doing to the victim’s families and the general public.
Sunday April 14th, 2019 will mark the 5th anniversary of the abduction of 296 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok by Boko Haram. 57 girls escaped in the first 24 hours. In the course of the intervening 5years, another 107 of the 219 girls held captive either escaped, were released after negotiations, or were found after the army liberated the areas where they were being held. To date, 112 Chibok Girls, both Muslim and Christian, remain captives of the terrorists.
On Monday February 19th, 2018, 111 secondary schoolgirls, one primary school girl, and one primary school boy, 113 children in total, were abducted from Government Girls Science & Technical College, Dapchi by Islamic State West Africa, a splinter group of Boko Haram. After government negotiations 106 of the girls, and one boy were released after 31 days in captivity. To date, 6 Dapchi girls have not returned. It is reported that five died during the abduction and were buried. May their souls rest in perfect peace. One girl, Leah Sharibu was reported to have been denied release because she refused to renounce her Christian faith. A photograph of her in captivity has since been released.
In March 2018, three international aid workers were kidnapped while providing humanitarian aid at an Internally Displaced Person’s Camp in Rann, Borno State. Alice Loksha Nggadah of UNICEF, Hauwa Muhammad Liman of the Red Cross and Saifura Hussani Ahmed of the Red Cross-Hauwa and Saifura have since been brutally executed. Alice Ngaddah remains in captivity.
‘’While we are aware of the efforts made so far, and commend the government for the recovery of 107 Chibok girls, and 106 Dapchi girls, we will not relent in our advocacy and strident demands for the rescue of our school children and fellow citizens from captivity. We also demand justice for the slain. We acknowledge and honour the sacrifice of our military and express our thoughts and prayers to the families of our heroes in the armed forces, the #BringBackOurGirls Movement said.
As concerned citizens of this country, the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy group has highlighted the plight of these innocent girls and other victims of the insurgency, both at global level, and at home through protest and through constructive engagement with the government and other agencies, to secure the rescue of the abducted girls.
‘’Our advocacy includes nearly 5 years of a daily sit-out in Abuja; weekly sit-outs in Lagos, Oshogbo, and Ibadan; visits to key local and international stakeholders; development of strategies and tools such as ‘Citizens Solutions to End Terrorism’ and the ‘Verification, Authentication and Reunification System (VARS)’ for missing persons.’’
‘’While we remain hopeful and expectant that the rescue of ALL the girls is imminent, if this hope does not materialize before April 14, 2019, we will, with heavy hearts, mark the 5th year of captivity for 112 Chibok Girls by gathering with members of the Chibok community and members of BBOG from all over Lagos.’’
The #BringBackOurGirls Movement said; We empathise with the traumatized families and communities of all the victims of insurgency, those missing, deceased, and forcibly removed from government schools where their parents thought they would be safe. We pray that many more families will be able to share in the joy of their children coming back home and having a bright future.
‘’We call on local, national, regional and global influencers and authorities to support and pressure the Nigerian government to bring the nightmare of school abductions, violent extremism and insecurity to an end.’’
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