Service held to mark 10 years since kidnapping of Chibok schoolgirls

A service has been held in Chibok, Nigeria, on the tenth anniversary of the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls. 

The service was attended by tons of of oldsters, a lot of whom are still waiting for the discharge of their daughters. 

While some have been released and others have escaped through the years, 82 of the women remain unaccounted for. 

Hanatu Daua, who attended the service, is one among the lucky parents as her daughter Saratu was released with three of her children. But she told Open Doors that she longs to see the opposite girls freed.

“But together, we’re pleading for the discharge of the opposite daughters in captivity,” she said.

“May God bail them so we will sit together again and let go of this bitterness in us. We are pleading with Boko Haram to release them. We are drained.”

The girls, all aged between 16 and 18 on the time, were abducted from their school by terrorist group Boko Haram between 16 and 18 April 2014. 

Yakubu Nkeki, chairman of the Chibok Parents Association, said, “It’s been 10 years, so I ask the federal government, what’s our crime? What did Chibok ever try this their children have not been released? Even in the event that they have grown old or given birth to 10 children each, a way needs to be made to bring them back to us the best way they’re.”

Jabez Musa, a Nigerian human rights lawyer who has been advocating for persecuted Christians within the North and Middle Belt of Nigeria, said, “The Chibok families have been under serious trauma and agony this last decade. Some have fallen sick from the stress and worry, and a few have died.

“One thing I believe that’s increasing the upset for folks is reports coming from the IDP camps where a few of the released girls are being kept are for rehabilitation. We are hearing that government officials there are planning marry a few of the girls to Boko Haram insurgents, without the consent of the parents.”

Nigeria is ranked sixth on Open Doors World Watch list of nations where it’s most dangerous to be a Christian. The human rights group says that Nigeria has the best level of violence towards Christians of any nation, with over 5,000 Nigerian Christians killed for his or her faith last 12 months.

Parents on the service were critical of the Nigerian government and its failure to stop wider violence against the Christian community.

“The president has been so quiet since he was elected,” said Musa.

“He has not been commenting on this security situation, or the violence generally, particularly within the northern region of Nigeria.

“There is a lot pressure now for presidency to finish that impunity the militants have, and for a few of us we’re calling on the international community especially the UK Government to impress on the Tinubu government that they need to search out a approach to end this problem.”