Seven years after, and specifically 2,549 days since the incident, many of the abducted 276 Chibok girls are still nowhere to be found.
They have been victims of another show of systemic failure by the Nigerian state in living up to expectation as one that could effectively guarantee the safety of her citizens at all times.
Chibok girls still on our minds, says Presidency
All we have been hearing these days are selective homilies from sundry quarters, about the agony of the infamous hijack of girls in their secondary school before they were herded off to God-knows-where by terrorists.
Fate has succeeded in freeing some of the captured girls, but some 112 are yet to re-unite with their families.
We identify with the lamentations of Borno State governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, who said on the occasion marking the seven-year captivity of the schoolgirls: ‘’As a father of daughters, I can’t even imagine the pains of having one’s daughter held by terrorists for as long as seven whole years.’’
The depth of our angst is further driven home by one of the schoolgirls who managed to escape captivity, Tabitha Stover: ‘’Please, our parents are still dying; they don’t have anyone to help. A commoner like me does not have an answer to these questions, but I know that our governors, our president have the answer to these questions, but you are still silent. Please, are we not citizens of this country? Let us know that we are slaves.’’
She added: ‘’Put yourself in our shoes, how will you feel, if we are your children or some that are still in captivity are your children; if you put yourself in our shoes, how will you feel?’’
Of a truth, the Presidency has been consoling parents and all concerned citizens that the missing students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, are still on the radar, and that they will eventually be found ‘’through various channels and activities of the security and intelligence agencies who are pushing towards a breakthrough that could happen any time soon’’.
Northern women urge FG to rescue Chibok girls, Leah before Christmas
But the fact is that it appears nobody is remembering this sad episode until an anniversary is around the corners, or another batch of unfortunate children are being kidnapped in the orgy of insecurity festering in the country.
The authorities, it seems, are just not doing enough to rescue the girls. Even if they were, the truth remains that in the unfortunate situation at hand, efforts are not enough; results are all that should matter!
We identify with the strident calls, especially by the parents, that their children/wards be rescued as well as those who are calling for demands to be met, so that the remaining girls will get their freedom.
We also call for the release of the General Ibrahim Sabo fact-finding committee report, and a probe of the N500 million pledged by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration for the rebuilding of a college which has remained shut ever since the abduction.
There is the need to consider re-opening the school, as well as provide what has been termed ‘psycho-social support’ for both the victims and their immediate families, to cushion the effect of the abduction.
We share in Governor Zulum’s disclosure that President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed ‘personal commitment’ towards the recovery of the girls. But is that enough?
It is noticed that the presidency released a statement in the wake of the seventh anniversary that the missing students ‘’remain constantly on the minds of the government as they are always on the minds of the parents.’’ However, mere words do not translate to workable solutions.
Already, according to the Chibok community in Abuja, no fewer than 20 of the parents of the Chibok schoolgirls have died of trauma, while many others are said to be living with terminal ailments because of the ripple effect of the kidnapping. To compound matters, some of the girls were reported to have either been married off without their consent, or turned to sex slaves by their captors.
The security agencies will certainly need more than well-wishing to break this deadlock. Significant work needs to be done to bring all our kidnapped girls home soonest. This will send the best message to those who are neck deep in the business of hijacking human beings in the country.
