March Planned for Kidnapped Nigerian Girls

Last Saturday, BCN contributor Marc Little wrote about the abduction of over 200 school girls in Nigeria, specifically the world’s seeming indifference to their plight. An Islamic group called Boko Haram is responsible.

Ten days ago, forces broke into a schoolhouse in Chibok, Nigeria and kidnapped 200 school girls during their exam. Thirty of the girls managed to escape while the rest disappeared as captives into the Nigerian forest. Parents racing to find their daughters before dark were unassisted and still the world news is virtually silent on this abduction but fixated on the ferry tragedy in South Korea. The indifference to humanity in Africa is glaring.

Marc and others note there has been little coverage of the missing girls. (Imagine the blanket coverage if Christians had kidnapped these girls, rather than Muslims.) PM News, a Nigerian publication, reports that the Muslims have sold the girls as wives to other Muslims. The angry parents criticized the government’s inaction.

“May God curse every one of those who have failed to free our girls,” parent Enoch Mark said. His daughter and two nieces were taken. Another Nigerian publication, Vanguard, reported that women in Nigeria will march on Wednesday in protest.

Prof. Hauwa Abdu Biu disclosed this yesterday during an emergency meeting convened by the first lady of Borno, Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima on the way forward for the release of the school girls.

She had last week spoke on behalf of coalitions of Borno women in which they call for the release of the school girls and offer to go to the Sambisa Forest in search of the school girls.

Prof Biu informed the meeting that the one million march which was tagged “Free our girls” will involve women all over the country and called for the mobilization of Borno women to Abuja for the rally.

“The last time, we were in black but this time around the colour for the Abuja rally is red, so we should all be prepared and mobilized ourselves for the rally” she added.

For the record, Boko Haram also attacks Christians.

Photo credit: Globe Trodden (Creative Commons)