Chibok girls: 7 years after, FG ignores BBOG movement, leaves victims’ families to fate

Augustine Aminu

Seven years down the line since Boko Haram abducted nearly 300 schoolgirls mostly aged between 12 and 17, from Chibok in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, not much has been done by the Federal Government to ensure the safe return of the girls.

The abduction which took place in April 2014, led to an international outcry which subsequently birthed the #BringBackOurGirls campaign for their release.

At least 82 of the abducted girls were freed in 2017 after mediation, adding to 24 who were either released or found, a few others were also lucky to escape or rescued, but about 113 of the girls are believed to still be held by the militant group.

Despite the daily advocacy by the BBOG by way of sit-outs in Unity Fountain, Abuja from April 30, 2014 to May 2020 to impress on the Federal Government to sit up to their responsibility of ensuring the safe return of the school girls, many Nigerians believe that Government is deliberately ignoring the group as they are perceived as a tool used by the opposition.

BBOG suspended its daily advocacy in May 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions but has since commenced its advocacy, running its weekly bases in Lagos every Saturday 11 am – 1 pm at Falomo roundabout.

Speaking with a Strategic Team member, former Spokesperson and Head of Strategic Communications, #BringBackOurGirls, Sesugh Akume, who described the group’s movement as being successful, said that without the consistent campaign by the group half of our #ChibokGirls wouldn’t have been returned alive.

He said that government has adopted several measures to silence the group.

“In Abuja, after being harassed, tear gassed, etc, with Unity Fountain being sealed off for our meetings with armed police present with dogs, horses and their equipment, the place was fenced and out under lock and key.

“The advocacy has lasted across two regimes and been consistent.

“What benefit does one get putting their lives on hold for 7 years of daily advocacy for which it can be termed ‘selfish project’?

“No, it is not and has never been.

“From the advocacy, half of our #ChibokGirls are back. They wouldn’t have returned otherwise.

“All 3 Unimaid lecturers abducted by the terrorists whilst on oil exploration are back, so are the 16 Lassa women abducted for whom the government had denied.

“Nobody was talking about the plight of the IDPs and humanitarian crises in the northeast. The movement made all of this come into focus. Not to talk of the Safe Schools Initiative which this regime as usual bungled. None of these has been for or about private gain but by sweat and sacrifice, toiling daily.

“I’m ashamed of the regime’s response.

“As of the last count, 20 parents had died, most of heart conditions arising from the trauma. They are completely kept in the dark with no one telling them anything.

“Buhari said a ‘Chibok Desk’ was to be set up to cover this. If it was ever set up it is nonfunctional.

“On January 14, 2016 he said a proper investigation was going to be done, a new panel of inquiry set up but nothing has been done. I also don’t understand the regime terrorising us as a movement the way it has’.

When asked why they didn’t extend the advocacy to other kidnapped school children, he said; “We are not an NGO for kidnapped school children. We are a single-issue advocacy. Bring Back Our Girls.”

On his part, a human right activist and Convener of Concerned Nigerians Group, Deji Adeyanju, said that the BBOG group should be commended for their consistency in drawing the attention of the world to the plight of the victims despite the lack of commitment shown by government to rescue the remaining school girls in Boko Haram captivity.

“The BBOG group is a citizen driven movement and it has been long enough. You must give it to them, for them to have sat this long demanding the rescue of the girls. It’s a commendable one.

“Movement has evolved over many years, with different governments and has changed strategies. The whole idea was to highlight and draw the attention of the world to the abduction of the Chibok girls with the view of ensuring their safe return to their parents.

“Yes, the Movement has succeeded, though all the girls have not yet returned but through the help and advocacy of the movement, global attention, global solidarity have been galvanised for the return of some of the girls.

“Some of the girls that were returned, have also had the opportunity through advocacies of highlighting the plight of the girls to get scholarships all over the world, and their lives have been transformed and changed positively.

“It goes beyond demanding for the return of the girls. It also goes to the root of the matter about why the girls were abducted in the first place.

“Yes, the movement cannot continue to sit till infinity at the unity fountain, so, we must sympathise with them even if it is once a week or once a month they sit. The whole idea is to show that some people, somewhere care about these girls that were abducted many years ago. So we must give them due credit. We must commend them.

“Government has not responded in a responsible manner. Government has not shown commitment to the rescue of the remaining abducted girls, and this is what we should focus our attention on,” said Adeyanju.

An Abuja based journalist, Chika Mefor, who spoke with the Daily Times, said that although during the early days of the struggle, they were tagged instruments of the APC administration, even now, some people still insist that they were.

“However, as a journalist that covered them for years, I will say that they were not. That didn’t negate the fact that some of them were there only for their selfish interest. I think the group, led Oby Ezekwesili knew what it was up against and refused to collect money from any group or individual.

“The group wanted to become the voice of the abducted Chibokgirls and ensure that the girls were rescued. Though not all the girls have been rescued, many have been. The group was consistent for years and her struggle even went global.

“I don’t think they have given up yet because every time you see Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu, they pin a barge, screaming, “BringBackOurGirls”.