BY GBENGA OLARINOYE & DAUD OLATUNJI

Hundreds of women under the aegis of National Association of Widows and Single Mothers Empowerment protested in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital over the abduction of the female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

The protesting women, many of whom were aged, took off from Ibara roundabout through Lalubu street to the Secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, urging President Goodluck Jonathan to exercise his full authorities to ensure the release of the abducted girls .

They displayed placards with inscriptions such as ‘bring back our girls’, ‘how long shall we be patient for the return of our precious girls?’, ‘our souls are troubled, we have lost appetite for food, the cries of our girls prevent us from sleep’, among others.

Osun embarks on 3-day fasting and prayer

In a similar development, the Osun State government yesterday declared a three-day fasting and prayers in the state to entreat God to ensure safe return of the abducted students

The government in a statement by Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Sunday Akere, urged the people to pray fervently for the release of the school girls.

Akere who noted that Friday, Saturday and Sunday had been set aside for special prayers for the release of the abducted students, said the government believed in prayers as a means of securing the release of the girls.