Borno/Nigeria: It has been a month now since the Nigerian girls were picked up by the militants from their school dormitory. In this unfortunate act, more than 200 girl students have been abducted by a militant group which is against the imbibing of western education. Boko Haram – is the militant group which has taken up responsibility for the kidnapping of these girls.
A month back, on the night of April 14, people resembling as soldiers entered into the school in Chibok while the girls were asleep. They told the girls that they were there to protect them from Boko Haram. The girls thought that they were for their safety but it was only when they took them away that they realized they were no soldiers but militants of Boko Haram.
Some girls managed to escape and recounted the whole incident after which it came into the limelight. Since then the government of Nigeria is constantly negotiating for the release of the abducted girls. But it has been a month now and the girls continue to remain abducted. The U.S has also offered an assistance which the Nigerian Government has accepted.
BBC quoted Asabe Kwambura, headmistress of the school, from where the girls were abducted who appealed to the government to do more to save the girls and called on the kidnappers to have mercy on the students.
It is believed that the abductors have taken the girls into the dense Sambisa forest. On 17th April, the parents of the girls did search the forest but could not get any clue.
By 23rd April, social media began buzzing on the incident. Protests were held in Abuja against the government’s response on this kidnapping. #Bringbackourgirls became the twitter trend. President Goodluck Jonhattan, the BBC report on May 14th, made his first public comments since the abduction, saying his government is seeking assistance from the US and other world powers to tackle Nigeria’s “security challenge”.
Nigeria’s cabinet minister Tanimu Turaki has been appointed as special duties minister and chairman of a committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to find ways of reaching agreement with Boko Haram. The BBC quoted him as he said, “Shekau should send people he trusted to meet the standing committee on reconciliation.”
- Boko Haram.
Boko Haram is a banned militant Islamist group of Nigeria. This group is fighting against the government in Nigeria and want to establish an Islamic state. This group has been behind several bomb blasts and killings in Nigeria. The Group has its influence in the North Eastern Nigerian states of Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe and Kano.
The abduction of these girls too has happened in the Borno state of Nigeria.
The group leader is Abubakar Shekau. In a recent video released by the Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau has accepted that Boko Haram is behind the abduction. In the video he also threatened to sell off these girls as slaves in the market.
Boko Haram has been declared as a terrorist group by the US in 2013.
- Reaction’s.
The US President Barack Obama called this incident as ‘heart breaking’ and outrageous.’
US first lady Michelle Obama too said that she was outraged and heartbroken over the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from the dormitories in the middle of the night.
In her statement she also said, “In these girls Barack and I see our own daughters. We see their hopes and their dreams. And we can only imagine the anguish their parents are feeling right now.”
In an Exclusive statement to the Spectralhues, lawyer Ibrahim Abdullahi said, “The abduction of over 200 school girls at Chibok, Borno state of Nigeria is the most unfortunate, callous and a gross act of wickedness. It is one of the most traumatising period of my over 35 years on earth. The world should condemn it for what it is and rally behind Nigeria to #BringBackOurGirls and #StopBokoHaram from committing further kidnapping and further acts of terror.”
The Newsloop reported that Pakistani Education activist MalalaYousfazai will donate all the proceeds from the sale of a portrait to the Nigerian authorities focused on the education and advocacy for girls and women. The Newsloop also reported that she was shocked and saddened on hearing that more than 200 girls were kidnapped from a school.
The United Nations (UN) too expressed outrage at the abduction of hundreds of Nigerian school girls.
U.N General Secretary Ban Ki-moon said that the Nigerian President had accepted his offer to send a high-level U.N. envoy to discuss how the United Nations can better support the government’s efforts to tackle the internal challenges.
Nigeria has also accepted help that was offered by Israel, the US and the other countries.
In an Nigerian area, yesterday, villagers detained and killed some Islamic militants who are suspected of planning a fresh attack. In the north eastern parts of Nigeria, people are forming groups to fight against the militants who have hand in the kidnapping of girls.
Education is an important key for the success and betterment of mankind. Opposing Education can never be accepted. This is indeed wrong that the girls are being kidnapped just because they were fulfilling their dreams of learning. We all pray and hope that the abducted girls safely reach their parents and actions are initiated against the group who has conducted this heinous crime.
Tags: #Bringbackourgirls Boko Haram Kidnapped Nigeria Nigerian Girls
