By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos —Christian and Muslim women of different ethnicities resident in Plateau State, under the aegis of Plateau Women Solidarity Movement, yesterday, came out in their numbers to say a resounding no to terror and  protest the “cruel abduction of over 200 girls in Chibok and eight more girls in Yobe State.”

The women, dressed in black and white, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Jail terror sponsors”, “Secure our borders”, “Nigerian government, engage Chad, Niger and Cameroun”, “Free our Chibok and Yobe girls”, “Politicians stop mortgaging our future”, “All mothers are crying” among others.

The womenmarched a distance of about two kilometres from the Air Force Base at Old Airport Road to the Government House, Rayfield, Jos, singing solidarity songs, crying and offering prayers of deliverance for the girls.

Speaking separately on behalf of the women, Pastor Esther Ibanga from Women Without Walls Initiative, WOWWI, and Hajia Khadijah Hawaja from Muslim Women Peace Forum, MWPF,  stressed that no effort should be spared in rescuing the girls.

The duo said:  “The Federal Government should take radical steps to secure the borders and employ all diplomatic means to engage the governments of neighbouring countries so as to restore our girls to their families.

”When terrorists resort to the kidnapping of children, they have attained the highest level of criminality and evil. They have demonstrated flagrant violation of legal rules of warfare by launching brutal attacks against civilians.

”It is unacceptable to Nigerian women that our daughters have become war trophies. Act now as it is time to identify, expose and prosecute the masterminds, sponsors and instigators of terror.
”It is time for proactive and decisive action to end immunity, impunity and the Boko Haram insurgency.”

Addressing the women at Government House, Governor Jonah Jang, represented by his deputy, Mr. Ignatius Longjan, commended the women for the peaceful protest and show of solidarity, adding that the Federal Government and security agencies were working to ensure the safe return of the girls.

The governor called for persistent prayers, trusting that with the help of external forces, the scourge of Boko Haram would be lifted.