..Saraki calls for concerted efforts

By Omeiza Ajayi

Three years after the abduction of their daughters, parents of Chibok girls have called on the Federal Government and the international community to rescue the girls, saying the seeming delay at rescuing the girls was due to their poor status.

This came as the Senate President, Sen Bukola Saraki called for concerted efforts to bring back the girls.

Rebecca Samuel, mother of one of the girls spoke on behalf of other parents yesterday in Abuja during the inaugural lecture marking the third anniversary of the abduction.

Three years of Chibok Girls Abduction: A parent of abducted Chibok School Girls, Mrs Rebecca Samuel pleading for foreign help to secure Chibok School Girls during a lecture to mark three years of their abduction in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

Samuel who spoke in Hausa, said each time she watched television, she was always looking forward to seeing her daughter, adding that she  would have preferred her daughter dead than being in captivity.

She said; “Three years is not three minutes. It is not three weeks. It is not three months. Each time I watch the television, I am always hopeful that I will see my daughter. I would have preferred that my daughter died and I buried her rather than for her to be in the wilderness for three years.

“What do they eat? What do they wear? How do they sleep? Is it because we are poor? Is poverty a crime? The government of Nigeria should please help us. Members of the international community should help us.”

The conveners of the event,  tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfill his promise of leading from the front by ensuring the girls are released.

On her part, the first female Vice Chancellor of a Nigerian university, Professor Grace Alele-Williams, who chaired the event urged elected public officials to prioritize the rescue of the girls.

On his part, Saraki said: ‘’He said:”I speak on behalf of all Nigerians who truly care, mothers and fathers especially, who cannot imagine the pain of not knowing whether or not one’s abducted child is alive or not,” the Senate President said, “I know that this government is continuing to explore all options to secure the release of the remaining girls. We will continue to support the administration’s efforts in every way that we can.

“They are our daughters. We will not stop looking for them. We will not give up the fight until they return back home to us.’’