CHIBOK GIRLS: THREE YEARS AFTER

It is in the nation’s interest to find the remaining schoolgirls

Exactly three years ago today, 276 girls were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State – all of them between the ages of 15 and 19. While 57 of the girls escaped from their abductors on that day, negotiations between the federal government and the insurgents led to the release of 21 others last year just as another three regained their freedom following military operations. The remaining 195 girls are still being held captive by the terrorists.

As we have repeatedly argued on this page, without the return of the remaining girls, the promise of the constitution that the welfare of Nigerians shall be the primary purpose of government will continue to ring hollow. That explains why giving up on rescuing the remaining girls cannot be an option for any self-respecting society, especially when education remains the only path to sustainable progress and the anchor of any serious government.

It is indeed reassuring to learn that there are ongoing negotiations with Boko Haram for the release of the remaining girls. The negotiation, according to Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo, had “gone quite far” although he also added that the existence of two factions within Boko Haram has created a new problem. This should not be an excuse. There are experts in such field of negotiations that can help and given the promises of recent years, there is no reason why such support would not be placed at the disposal of Nigeria on the issue of Chibok girls. But that will happen only if the federal government is ready and willing to walk its talk.

To the extent that Nigerians desperately need the assurance that our government has the capacity to defend our territory and that the life of every single citizen in distress matters, the authorities must deploy all necessary resources, equipment, intelligence and men in the search for the remaining Chibok girls.

Against the background that Boko Haram stands for “western education is sinful”, the Chibok tragedy, coming only a few weeks after the massacre of 59 innocent students at Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, was a clear indication of the nefarious agenda of the insurgents: to create a climate of fear and insecurity so as to discourage parents from allowing their children to go to school. The war being waged against us by the Boko Haram insurgents is not only in the abduction of our children but also in the attempt to kill their future. That is why the resolution of the Chibok tragedy is very important, if only to send a signal that the school-ground is a place to dream and not to die.

The leadership of the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) coalition, which has helped to put the issue of the Chibok girls in both local and international limelight and for sustaining the campaign for their rescue, was in January taken on a guided tour of Sambisa Forest. The group argued that more could still be done by the authorities. To cap a weeklong series of event, the BBOG will be hosting a lecture today in Abuja under the theme, “Where goes our girl, our nation goes”. It will be delivered by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.

Therefore, on a day such as this, we must salute the tenacity and sacrifice of the men and women in the BBOG coalition who have continued to pressure government and its agencies to ensure the rescue of the girls. Their message is simple: We need an atmosphere where our girls will not be afraid to go to seek knowledge. And that will be difficult until we find the remaining 195 Chibok girls who went to school on April 14, 2014 and are yet to return home.

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We salute the tenacity and sacrifice of the men and women in the BBOG coalition who have continued to pressure government and its agencies to ensure the rescue of the girls