Chibok parents plead for girls’ release
Concerned indigenes of Chibok, the Borno State town where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted on April 15, pleaded yesterday for their release.
Mr Tsambido Hosea-Abana, Chairman of Chibok Community in Abuja, pleaded with the security agencies to ensure, without further delay, the girls’ release.
Hosea-Abana spoke at the commemoration of the Day of the African Child organised by Actionaid Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation.
According to him, the plea became necessary because other girls were scared of going to school for fear of being abducted in the same manner.
Hosea-Abana said: “Chibok is a small community compared to other bigger ethnic groups in Borno, but has the opportunity of being exposed to western education earlier through the missionaries.
“So, the residents of the town are considered to be highly educated and that is why we do not hesitate to put our girls in Government Secondary School, Chibok.
Nonetheless, Mrs Comfort Iliya, pleaded with the parents to send their children to school, despite the development.
She insisted that the girl-child should be empowered through education to build a purposeful society as a mother in future.
The fact-finding committee investigating the girls’ abduction will submit its report to President Goodluck Jonathan this week.
The coordinator of the National Information Centre (NIC) Mr. Mike Omeri, who broke the news yesterday, urged Nigerians and the international community to be more understanding on the government’s effort to rescue the girls.
“It could be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan set up a committee to look into the abdduction of the school girls in Chibok; the committee will make its findings known to the Federal Government this week,” Oweri said.
Omeri also said former President Olusegun Obasanjo was a free to do anything he wants to do on rescuing the girls.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is a free person, like every other Nigerian citizen who can come out at any time to offer useful advice on the rescuing of the abducted girls,” he said.
Obasanjo said he was awaiting Dr. Jonathan’s gree light to embark on talks with people close to the insurgents
Omeri also said troops had apprehended seven suspected terrorists who infiltrated Maiduguri.
He said the suspect said that they were being asked to carry out some bombing and sabotage in furtherance of directives of the leadership of the terrorist group.
He added that investigations, patrol and surveillance had been stepped up by the troops.
Speaking on the kidnap of a construction worker in Plateau State, Omeri said that the kidnapped foreigner, who has been released, is a Lebanese as against a report which identified him as a Briton.
He said the Lebanese was abducted by some armed bandits in Lantang Sunday night but was freed through the efforts of security forces in Angwan Bala in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Speaking on the failed bombing of the Living Faith Church in Owerri, Imo State, Omeri applauded Nigerians for the effective use of the security alert telephone numbers released to the public some weeks ago, saying the alert system assisted in saving the lives of the worshippers on Sunday.
“On June 14 2014, at about 22:00 hours, a patriotic Nigerian placed alert call to one of the DSS security numbers which led to the prompt response of the police, army and the DSS in Owerri.
“ The police bomb squad immediately diffused the improvised explosive devices to foil the explosion timed for the commencement of church service
“The quick response by security forces in foiling the explosion of the IEDs must be attributed to timely intelligence report”.
