Breaking: BringBackOurGirls campaigners clash with security operatives in Abuja
The #BringBackOurGirls campaigners started off their planned rally on Tuesday at about 3pm in Abuja and marched in a procession towards the Aso Rock Presidential villa to engage President Goodluck Jonathan on the federal government’s effort at rescuing the over 200 Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko insurgents six months ago. Today marks 183 days since […]
The #BringBackOurGirls campaigners started off their planned rally on Tuesday at about 3pm in Abuja and marched in a procession towards the Aso Rock Presidential villa to engage President Goodluck Jonathan on the federal government’s effort at rescuing the over 200 Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko insurgents six months ago.
Today marks 183 days since 219 teenage girls were kidnapped by the Boko Haram insurgents in thjeir school in Chibok, Borno state. At the Yakubu Gowon Street of Asokoro leading to the villa, policewomen who were not armed barricaded the road stopping the protesters from proceeding to meet with the president. The mobile policewomen held hands and formed a barrier on the road Daily Trust observed. At the back of the policewomen are armed soldiers providing cover. The protesters are unrelenting as they sing bring back our girls solidarity songs. A parent from Chibok Mrs. Rebecca Samuel who is a mother of one of the abducted girls succumbed to emotions, breaking down and crying. She said the federal government lied all along about the situation of the abducted girls.
Four female ministers including Sarah Ochepe of Water Resources, Environment; Laurentia Mallam and Women Affairs Zainab Maina emerged to address the restless protesters most of whom are women. One of the few girls that managed to escape from the Boko Haram is supposed to speak in the Hausa language. One of the protesters remarked that it would highlight the failure of Nigeria’s education system to which water resources minister Sarah Ochepe replied Oby Ezekwesili was one time education minister. This irked Mrs. Ezekwesili who has been one of the leaders of the protest campaign. “Shame on you Sarah!” Oby barked back at the water Resources minister. “President Jonathan stopped the reforms we had put in place.” In the past, the campaigners had attempted taking their protest to the villa but were stopped by security operatives at the federal secretariat Abuja.