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by John Alechenu
Ezekwesili, Badeh and Jonathan.
One
hundred days after the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls by the Boko
Haram terrorist group, there has been no significant breakthrough in
government’s rescue effort, reports JOHN ALECHENU
It is a hundred and one days since the
extremist Islamist Boko Haram sect abducted over 200 schoolgirls from
Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. The
schoolgirls’ horrendous ordeal into the little-known Sambisa forest has
been greeted with global condemnation. The victims, whose ages range
between 12 and 18 years, were abducted from their school on the night of
April 14, 2014, sparking local and international outrage. Initial
reports said 85 students were abducted during the attack. A few days
later, the military released a statement claiming that more than 100 of
129 abducted girls had been freed. The statement was later retracted,
and on April 21, parents of some of the victims said 234 girls were
missing. A number of the students escaped from the terrorists in two
batches. According to the police, approximately 276 children were
abducted out of which, 53 had escaped as of May 2. Yet, other reports
claim that a total of 329 girls were snatched, 53 escaped and that 276
were still missing. Although there are conflicting reports about the
exact number of girls still missing, one fact remains; there are over
one hundred girls still in captivity.
In the beginning, government officials at
the highest level expressed doubts about the genuineness of information
that the schoolgirls were missing. This was confirmed by former
President Olusegun Obasanjo, in an interview with Bloomberg television.
Obasanjo said, “On the kidnapping or abduction, the President did not
believe that those girls were abducted for almost 18 days. If the
President got the information within 12 hours of the act and he reacted
immediately, I believe those girls would have been rescued within 24
hours, maximum, 48 hours. Don’t forget, they are almost 300 girls. The
logistics of moving them is something (delay) the sect would have
encountered. Unfortunately, the President had doubts; ‘Is this true? Is
this a ploy by some people who don’t want me to be President again? Who
is doing this?’ I think that was an unfortunate aspect of the whole
exercise or situation.”
The schoolgirls, whose only offence was
to dare to acquire education to better their lot, were forcibly taken by
hardened terrorists masquerading as jihadists. The psychological trauma
they have been forced to go through is better imagined than
experienced. Concerns about their general state of health, especially
those who have attained the age of puberty, is also a source of concern.
Reports that they are being gang-raped on a daily basis have increased
the anguish of their parents and guardians. As at the last count, no
fewer than 11 parents have died as a result of distress they suffered
over the abduction of their daughters. It may not, therefore, come as a
surprise that in spite of the Federal Government’s continuing assurances
that it is on top of the degenerating security situation, not many
Nigerians appear convinced. This is even more so at a time when the
death toll from attacks traceable to the terrorist group have been on
the increase.
Borno State, like its neighbouring Yobe
and Adamawa states, has been under emergency rule long before this
daring abduction. An obviously distraught Borno State Governor, Kashim
Shettima, expressed sadness that the insurgents were better armed and
motivated than the nation’s armed forces. His views drew angry responses
from Jonathan and the top echelon of the Nigerian military. The
President had during a Presidential media chat – soon afterwards, said
he could withdraw the military from the affected states for one month to
see what happens.
The blame game between state and federal
authorities after the incident has become an issue of global concern and
a source of national embarrassment. Some have argued that if the
various security arrangements government claimed it had put in place
were effective, the brazen abduction of the Chibok girls would not have
gone unchallenged by security operatives.
The President’s wife, Patience, who also
had doubts about the incident, convened her own fact-finding meeting
with some of those believed to have explanations to make.
In spite of the controversy surrounding
her intervention, it brought to light the fact that there was some
communication between the West African Examination Council, the Federal
Ministry of Education and the state government over the issue of
security. It also revealed the fact that there was no security presence
around the school area before the abduction.
As a result of an alleged slow response
by the Jonathan-led Federal Government, prominent Nigerians such as a
former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, and several
personalities and groups began the #Bring back our girls’ campaign. The
movement has attracted millions of followers on social media as well as
protest marches within and outside Nigeria. It has attracted global
support from the rich and powerful across racial divides –touching on
the essence of our humanity.
Some world leaders who have lent support
to the movement include the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki
Moon and the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, to mention
just a few. Members of the Nigerian chapter of the movement have had a
running battle with government officials as well as security forces over
the motive for their continued protests in Abuja, the federal capital.
Minister of Information and National
Orientation, Mr. Labaran Maku, like some of his counterparts in the
Federal Executive Council, has accused members of the group as doing the
bidding of those opposed to the Jonathan administration but Ezekwesili
has vehemently denied this accusation.
The controversial Commissioner of Police
in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Joseph Mbu, went a step
farther by banning further protests citing security concerns. He was,
however, overruled by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed
Abubakar.
A rival group believed to be made up of
government’s supporters named #Release Our Girls Now, sprang up to
challenge the #Bring Back Our Girls campaigners. This resulted in a
clash as some supporters of the Release Our Girls group which had a
member of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Beni Lar, as champion,
allegedly attacked the #Bring Back Our Girls Now group at the Unity
Fountain, Abuja.
No one appears to have taken up the offer
of the N50m cash reward offered by the Nigeria Police Force for anybody
with useful information about the location of the abducted Chibok
schoolgirls.
Although belated, government’s acceptance
of assistance from the international community to secure the release of
the girls is perhaps an indication of the near helplessness of the
situation. The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, had
informed a gathering of the pro-government #Release Our Girls Now group
that security forces had located the girls. He explained that his men
were being cautious not to seek to free them by force to avoid
collateral damage. Unfortunately, two months after his pronouncements,
the waiting game has continued unabated. The question agitating the
minds of Nigerians is: for how long must we wait for concrete results
which will ensure that the girls are brought back safe and alive? If and
when the girls are released, are there measures in place to end the
insurgency and prevent the insurgents from going elsewhere to abduct
other girls?
The Chibok abduction saga has, without
doubt, exposed the glaring inadequacies of government at various tiers
across the country. The release of the girls is a task that must be done
with the sincerity of purpose and the urgency it deserves.
The blame game and unnecessary
politicisation of the issue by some individuals and groups in the
pursuit of selfish interests must end. By now, there ought to be an
effective collaboration between the federal and the Borno State
governments to secure the release of the girls.
Any administrative obstacle towards
securing the release of the girls has the potential of causing further
harm to the health and standing of all concerned as well as an injury to
the nation’s reputation. The ongoing protests within and outside the
country is a demonstration of the level of concern being shown by all
men and women of goodwill the world over.
It is being speculated that the President
has yet to declare his desire to seek for a second term in office
because no significant headway has been made towards the release of the
girls.
The way the Jonathan-led government
handles this issue will to a large extent determine his fate and that of
his party should he decide to seek re-election in 2015.
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