According to - PUNCH Newspaper Headlines : Activists Demand Rescue of Abducted Schoolgirls
Some Lagos-based indigenes of Kibaki, A community in Chibok town, where 234 girls were abducted from the Federal Government College by Boko Haram, on Monday protested against the act.
The protesters took their grievances to the office of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola in Alausa, Ikeja.
The protesters, who included women and children, under the aegis of the Lagos State chapter of Chibok Youths Association, urged Fashola to pass on their massage to President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State to ensure the safe return of the abducted girls.
Spokesman of the group, Mr. Yahaya Chiwar, said the group was worried that 13 days after the girls were abducted, there had been no positive news from the government concerning their safety or any chance of them being rescued.
He added that what was more pathetic was that after the parents of the abducted girls had taken it upon themselves to conduct a search in the Sambisa Forest, located the camp where the insurgents were holding the girls and reported to the appropriate authorities, no action had been taken.
Chiwar said, “Our parents could not confront the gunmen and therefore informed the security authorities about where the girls were being kept. The parents communicated with us yesterday (Sunday). They said there had been no information on whether the girls had been rescued or not.
“We have resolved that we can no longer remain silent; we are here because of your commitment to security of lives and property in the state. We believe the nearest authority to us is you, we believe we can express our grievances to you and you can forward our grievances to the relevant authorities, particularly to President Jonathan.”
Fashola commended members of the group for their courage and selflessness to stand for their daughters and sisters who were victims of the nation’s porous security system.
He condemned the abduction of the girls, describing it as a clear act of hostage-taking “which is unthinkable and dehumanising”.
He said, “One can only imagine the kind of horror and grief the parents of these girls must be feeling. I am a parent and I understand it. If my children are ill, I know the kind of frustration, fear and anxiety that I go through, not to mention the indescribable emotion that the parents of these girls are going through to know whether they are alive, where they are and what conditions they might be in. The girls themselves – the kind of fear they are going through – it must be a traumatic experience for everyone involved.”
He cautioned the protesters against nursing the thought that nothing was being done to rescue the abducted girls.
He said it was likely that the authorities might be careful not to take steps that would harm the girls while rescuing them.
Fashola urged the parents of the girls not to lose hope on the safe return of their children.
He promised to deliver the letter to Jonathan on Monday (yesterday).
