One year after #BringBackOurGirls campaign

During the early stages of the campaign, the #BringBackOurGirls group repeatedly accused the  federal government of refusing to take appropriate action towards finding the girls and not fulfilling their promises. This prompted the group to begin a global campaign, as well as mounting pressure on government for their safe return some days after the incident. The […]

During the early stages of the campaign, the #BringBackOurGirls group repeatedly accused the  federal government of refusing to take appropriate action towards finding the girls and not fulfilling their promises. This prompted the group to begin a global campaign, as well as mounting pressure on government for their safe return some days after the incident.
 The group lamented that it took government 19 days before deciding to set up the committee to see if the incident actually happened.
One year after, nobody can fully explain the whereabouts of the girls or if they have been truly married off like the sect boasted. The group also noted repeatedly that it is a sign of weakness that the federal government has no clue how to go about the rescue mission, “because if they do, we would have concrete information about the situation of the girls or vital details about what is being done in the rescue mission,” Maureen Kabrik a member of the group said during one of its every day sit outs in Abuja.
Director of Defence Information, Major General Olukolade, also repeatedly maintained that the federal government has spared no resources in trying to rescue the girls and will not stop until the girls are returned home.
But families and members of the Chibok community are aggrieved.
Hadiza Bala Usman, one of the conveners of the group in an interview with Al Jazeera, some months ago reiterated that people need to remember that 219 girls remain in captivity, in order for their rescue to be actualized.
“We appreciate the fact that the media propelled a lot of support around the world, but that support has not translated into any rescue. For us, if whatever is said and done doesn’t translate into the rescue of the girls, it hasn’t really achieved anything. If the girls aren’t rescued no parent will allow their female child to go to school,” Hadiza warned.
Also some Nigerians have voiced out their frustrations and sympathized with the family and friends of the Chibok community while others even after a year of their absence still believe their kidnap is a sham.
Mrs Josephine Dogara, a housewife believes the kidnap was staged, and said it was orchestrated only to distract President Jonathan from focusing on the real issues on ground and to unseat him from his postion.
“I thought President Jonathan’s loss in the election should be the signal Boko Haram needed to release these girls since it is Jonathan they do not want to see in power. Now he has lost and their brother has gained the votes, they can now set the girls free,” she said.
“How can they snatch almost 300 students from a school in a country where army checkpoint is everywhere,” she added.
Omeiza Jimoh, a student has also refused to believe there wasn’t  foul play in their kidnap.
“They say there were 219 missing school girls but when the parents came, we barely saw 50parents, does that mean the remaining parents are not aggrieved? Something doesn’t just add up. Let us be realistic, wherever the ladies are I believe they are safe. Their parents must have been paid huge sums of money to stay calm and not raise hell. Nigeria has gone through a lot to be bothered with these kinds of grave tragedies, so they should beware,” he said.
Fatima Abdulrahman believes the only reason the #BBOG group has continued their campaign up till this time is because they seek international recognition.
“These people know what they stand to achieve, they are all well educated and have businesses to attend to but everyday they take three hours out of their time because they want the girls back? Let’s be realistic these are girls they do not know and cannot ascertain if they are truly missing,” she said.
But Bukky Shonibare a member of the #BBOG group during one of their daily sit outs lamented that the group has been repeatedly accused on twitter of crying more than the bereaved.
“How do we make them understand, how do we even begin to relate to this kind of people, because they obviously do not understand,” she asked.
Members of the Chibok community have also praised the group for the support it had rendered the families of the girls since the kidnap.
 “As far as we are concerned our girls have been abandoned, we want to be able to know if they are still alive, or if we should begin to have closure on the issue. The torture is simply too much”, Joseph, father of one of the girls stated.
Another member of Chibok community during his recent visit to Abuja pleaded for more people to join in the rescue.
“There are a lot of Chibok parents that are dead today, because of heartache; it has affected me and my family psychologically and emotionally”, he said.
Mrs Obatola sympathizes with the families of the girls. The secondary school guidance counselor says she can only imagine the trauma the girl’s parents have gone through.
“I can only imagine what the parents have been going through, the hypertension, frustration and constant anxiety they will always have as long as their kids are away, it is cruel, inhuman and satanic.”
She adds that most of the parents and relatives will have to go through series of rehabilitations to get better.
Ugonwa  Nwankama a barrister said the president shouldn’t have refused to swap the girls for detained fighters of Boko Haram when the sect demanded that.
While the group still remaines adamant to continue to fight for the safe release of the girls, they have vowed that they shall not be swayed. Bukky  Shonibare, a vocal member of the group  lamented that there are people who know the girls are abducted but believe it’s for political gains, or that the northerners are trying to play a smart one on the country.
“We have different categories of people; the question is, how do we relate with them, it just shows that some people are just detached from reality. This long divide across religious and ethnic sentiments has eaten deep into us, and the responsibility rests on us to meet people and explain to them. It is obvious we are fighting ideologies; we are fighting a deeply rooted way of doing things”, she lamented.
Former Information Minister and convener of the group, Oby Ezekwesili, who noted that time for the girls ran out a long time ago said the group shall always stand for them until they are back. She begged both the incoming and outgoing presidents to work together and make their rescue topmost of their priority.
Another member of the group, Aisha Yesufu, said they shall not stop demanding for the safe return of the girls, until they are back.