Christmas without their daughters

Unlike in some communities across Nigeria where last minute preparations are being made for Christmas and New Year celebrations, the countenance of parents in Chibok, the famous town in southern Borno State where 276 were abducted by the Boko Haram on April 14 is that of dejection.Painfully but steady, both parents and children in Chibok […]

Unlike in some communities across Nigeria where last minute preparations are being made for Christmas and New Year celebrations, the countenance of parents in Chibok, the famous town in southern Borno State where 276 were abducted by the Boko Haram on April 14 is that of dejection.
Painfully but steady, both parents and children in Chibok are only counting the days they have been without their daughters and sisters. Saturday   is precisely 249 days since the girls were taken, and their parents have not given up hope of seeing them again.
They are also remembering them with uneasy calm whenever there is celebration, such as wedding, naming ceremonies and big ones like Eid-el Fitr and Christmas. In the last few weeks, many of such parents are recounting with nostalgia the noble role which the abducted girls played during the Christmas celebrations of 2013.
However, indications are glaring that those girls may not likely play that role this year, or even in the foreseeable future.
Chibok, a farming community drew global attention after the infamous April abductions at Government Girls Secondary School in the town.
Perhaps, since then, life has never been the same in Chibok, the school, surrounding villages and in most parts of Borno State where Boko Haram insurgents attacked, killed and destroyed many communities.
At present, over 15 of the 27 local government areas in the state are under siege, prompting several thousands of people to take refuge in Maiduguri, the state capital. But despite their trauma and occasional attacks by the Boko Haram assailants, most of the residents of Chibok have defied the odds and are still living in their town.
Before it came to limelight, Chibok was undoubtedly one of the communities in Borno State with a large concentration of Christian faithful who live in peace with their Muslim counterparts.
In fact, the Christians, both men and women bear Muslim or rather Kanuri names. It is equally very common to see adherents of both religions dressing in the same pattern and celebrating together.
In Chibok, names such as Modu (Mohammed), Bana, Aji, Abana, Yusuf, Yaga, Usman, Ciroma, Shettima, Bello, Kassim, Maina, Aminu,  Abba, Hauwa, Hannatu, Fanna, Kyallu, Fanta, Kaltume  amongst others are used by both Muslims and Christians.
Even the district head of Chibok is being appointed by the Shehu of Borno and people of the town pay allegiance to the Borno Emirate.
Chibok, situated 125 kilometres south of Maiduguri, is now a lonely place as both local and international journalists who thronged the town between April and July have shifted their attention to other events.
“We are on our own now,” says James Yama, one of the parents in Chibok. “We no longer see the white men who came and wrote countless stories. We no longer see government officials who visited this place severally on fact finding and this is unfortunate.”
Asked how he feels about the forthcoming Christmas, Yama says. “It is a period of merriment but we are a sad people…. We love Christmas but how do you expect someone like me to celebrate. I love my daughter Grace so much, she was my pride.”
“Grace prepared the meal for the family during the last Christmas, she cleaned my room and even reminded me that I would be late for Church,” he recalls. “I pray the Almighty will bring her back safely.”
Dauda Yusuf, an uncle to one of the abducted Chibok girls says it is painful to miss someone you love. “We pray all our daughters are alive and would come back soon,” he says. “As for celebrating Christmas, honestly it is going to be low keyed because we don’t have the energy to do elaborate events.”
A mother, Hannatu Musa, says she will go to Church and pray for the return of their daughters. “Of course we would celebrate the birth of Jesus and we would use the opportunity and pray. My daughter, whom I fondly call Nana will remain in my memory till the day I die. She was everything to me, she was the one who always cook for the family even during festivities unless if she was in school but, sadly, I am the one who is shouldering that responsibility now,” she says.
One of the rescued Chibok girls also berated the powers that be “for not doing enough” to rescue her friends. “I don’t want you to mention my name but I am angry with our leaders. I don’t think if any of our leaders will be sleeping if any of his daughters is missing. It is sad that they have forgotten about us and are only talking of 2015 elections. I would not give up in my prayers. The Almighty is with my friends and I see them coming back. I am sad the Christmas is coming to us this way, I am sad,” she laments.
Emmanuel Haruna, a vigilante in Chibok, frowned at the slow pace of rescue operations to free the Chibok girls. “It is a great shame for both the Nigerian government and the so-called western powers that they could not make any in-road into the Sambisa Forest.  I am sure our sisters are held there and the truth is that the commitment to rescue them is lacking,” he says.
Weekly Trust reports that while the Chibok people have prepared their minds to mark the Christmas without their daughters, their neighbours, the people of Gumsuri, swallowed the bitter pill last Sunday when 185 of their people were abducted by the same Boko Haram militants.
Most of those abducted are women, young boys and children who pundits believe would be indoctrinated by the group. About 38 people, including the chief imam of Gumsuri, the leader of the vigilantes in the village and  civilian JTF were killed by the assailants.
Gumsuri is just 7km away from Damboa and about 40km to Chibok.
Though both the military and the police are yet to comment on the incident in Gumsuri, spokesman of the Federal Information Centre, Mike Omeri, in a statement on Thursday condemned the abduction, describing it as a “deplorable act” by the terrorists. “It is impossible to verify the number of those missing (in Gumsuri) at this early stage because it is presumed that many civilians fled during the attack,” he said.
“We want the Chief of Defence of Staff, Air marshal Alex Badeh to exhibit the commitment he showed in rescuing Mubi (his home town) in Adamawa State in rescuing our daughters and towns,” Ismail Habibu, an activist says.
Our correspondent reports that it was the same doubts that trailed the abductions of the Chibok girls in Apri. But people in Maiduguri are calling for concerted efforts to bring back all the people abducted, not only in Chibok and Gumbsuri, but from hundreds of communities in the state and beyond.
Back in Chibok, a mother whose daughter is among the kidnapped, tells Weekly Trust over the phone that she never knew a Christmas would come as bleak as 2014’s. In between sobs, she says joy has left the community. “Chibok is the saddest place on earth,” she sobs.