#BringBackOurGirlsNYC is joyful that one of our #ChibokGirls was rescued on March 18, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome

mojubaolu@gmail.com

(718) 951-5000 x 1742

NYC Wednesday March 19, 2016

It is wonderful that Amina, one of our 219 #ChibokGirls that was held captive by Boko Haram, was rescued yesterday, March 18, 2016. It was reported that she now has a baby and is allegedly expecting another baby.  Although it is unfortunate that this poor child who has just been rescued has become a mother under the horrible circumstances of being a Boko Haram captive, this rescue is great news because although the inaction of the Federal Government of Nigeria under a previous administration allowed these poor girls to languish in captivity for so long, they are valuable human beings and citizens of Nigeria.  Each of them is valuable and deserving of our celebration of their rescue from Boko Haram captivity. 

Sadly, news reports include the alleged death of six (6) of our #ChibokGirls already.  This is very sad news. While awaiting official confirmation, we hope and pray that there are no more deaths before all our #ChibokGirls are rescued.

We are glad that Nigerian and other news sources are reporting this story. However, it is important to consider the complexity of the psychological condition of a person that has been subjected to this kind of extreme trauma, brutalization and sexual battery for more than two years.  Privacy is key. So is the building of a trusting relationship between victim and a therapeutic team. There is currently no structure for this in Nigeria.  This is most unfortunate.  Our long term goal is to advocate the development of a comprehensive, culturally appropriate framework that not only deals with the psychological and physical trauma suffered by our #ChibokGirls but by all victims of trauma in Nigeria.  

It is very important to recognize that these young women may be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and/or other serious psychological conditions, and may not be in a position to make decisions on what they want to do or not.  It is important to protect their privacy. They should not be paraded throughout the media and asked to speak about their trauma in a way that exposes all their private life to a curious public without commitment to long-term, culturally appropriate psychosocial care for them and their families as well as their communities by the Federal Government of Nigeria and their various states of origin.  There is also need for public education on the effects of the kind of trauma that they have endured and appropriate supportive community responses.

We hope that all others still in Boko Haram captivity are rescued and reunited with their families.  We hope they are accepted by their families, communities and all other Nigerians, and that they are given the long term, culturally appropriate psychosocial support to resume normal lives. 

We resolve to keep demanding: #BringBackOurGirls until all remaining 218 #ChibokGirls are reunited with their families. After their rescue, we will continue demanding that their privacy is respected and they, their families and communities receive long term culturally appropriate psychosocial care offered by the Nigerian government, assisted by national and international agencies that have the know-how and experience to deliver such care.

First #ChibokGirl rescued

We woke up to this great news: One of our #ChibokGirls was rescued.  The news first came to me from Prof. Hauwa Biu, who is a stalwart in the movement. BBC also reported it, as you see from this link http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36321249

So did Bukky Shonibare, who has been a key member of the Abuja BringBackOurGirls family.  It is our hope that all other #ChibokGirls abducted by Boko Haram are rescued and reunited with their families very soon.

Have a great day.

DAY 7: #2YEARS ON #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION FOR OUR #CHIBOKGIRLS

 

 CAN YOU TWEET WITH US? THANKS!

#2YearsOn #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescuing #ChibokGirls. 2yrs Boko Haram captivity #HopeEndures

 Pls help cover #BringBackOurGirls #ChibokGirls still captives #2YearsOn #HopeEndures for their rescue

Thanks for supporting #BringBackOurGirls & Girls Education. #2yearsOn pls keep demanding #ChibokGirls rescue

Thanks for supporting #BringBackOurGirls. #2yearsOn pls keep demanding #ChibokGirls rescue #HopeEndures 

Thanks for supporting #BringBackOurGirls. #2yearsOn & for demanding #ChibokGirls rescue #HopeEndures

Thanks for supporting #BringBackOurGirls. #2yearsOn keep demanding #ChibokGirls rescue #HopeEndures

DAY 6: #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION FOR OUR #CHIBOKGIRLS

Today is Day 6

 of #BringBackOurGirls Global Week of Action for our 219 Chibok GirlsThey have been in captivity for 730 days Tomorrow would be 2 years of their captivityThousands of other Nigerian women and children have been abducted before and after our #ChibokGirls Join us in social media action to demand their rescue and reunification with their families Let's show that we have not forgotten them  

Join #BringBackOurGirlsNYC 

Tomorrow, Thursday April 14 

for 

Our 2 Year Commemorative Interfaith Service

Can't make it?  You can still help. Suggestions below

Sweet honey in the rock - Ella's Song

DAY 5: #BringBackOurGirls Global Week of Action for our #ChibokGirls

TWEET WITH US. DO ATTACH OUR PRESS RELEASE BELOW TO YOUR TWEET.  THANKS!

@NGRPresident @ProfOsinbajo Please redouble efforts to rescue our #ChibokGirls April 14 will be 2yrs in BH captivity. #2YearsOn 

@POTUS #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of #ChibokGirls. Approx 2 yrs Boko Haram captivity. #2YearsOn

@realJohnKerry #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of #ChibokGirls. Approx 2 yrs in Boko Haram captivity. #2YearsOn

@secgen #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of our ChibokGirls. April 14 = 2 years in Boko Haram captivity. #2YearsOn

@HillaryClinton #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of our ChibokGirls. April 14=2 yrs in Boko Haram captivity.

@BernieSanders  #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of ChibokGirls. April 14=2 yrs in Boko Haram captivity.

 

REMEMBER: TWEET WITH US. DO ATTACH OUR PRESS RELEASE ABOVE TO YOUR TWEET.  THANKS!

@NGRPresident @ProfOsinbajo Please redouble efforts to rescue our #ChibokGirls April 14 will be 2yrs in BH captivity. #2YearsOn 

@POTUS #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of #ChibokGirls. Approx 2 yrs Boko Haram captivity. #2YearsOn

@realJohnKerry #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of #ChibokGirls. Approx 2 yrs in Boko Haram captivity. #2YearsOn

@secgen #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of our ChibokGirls. April 14 = 2 years in Boko Haram captivity. #2YearsOn

@HillaryClinton #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of our ChibokGirls. April 14=2 yrs in Boko Haram captivity.

@BernieSanders  #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of ChibokGirls. April 14=2 yrs in Boko Haram captivity.

Day 4: #BringBackOurGirls Global Week of Action for our #ChibokGirls #2YearsOn

Is anyone else as restless as we at #BringBackOurGirlsNYC are about the fate of our #ChibokGirls who have been in Boko Haram captivity for nearly 2 years?  We are determined not to be bogged down by sadness, frustration and despair.  We choose to believe that our girls can still be rescued.  We are encouraged by the renewed media interest in covering this story because it reminds the world that our girls and thousands of others are captives held, traumatized, brutalized, tormented and abused by Boko Haram.  We remind the world to rescue them and put an end to their brutalization.

#BringBackOurGirlsNYC has consistently called the world's attention to our #ChibokGirls continued captivity, particularly on milestone dates like April 14, the impending two-year mark.  The tireless women volunteers on our planning committee are always vigilant, always sharing information and breaking news on our girls.  Here's one example that gave a recap of last night's episode of "Madam Secretary" on CBS:

"On the weekly CBS (NY channel 2) show "Madam Secretary", a New York-born State Dept. employee of Nigerian ancestry is sent to meet with an Amir in Camaroon, who turned out to be the "megalomaniac" head of Boko Haram there.  The Amir thinks that the U.S. is weakening the policy of not negotiating with terrorists, but the State Dept. staffer explains that he is representing Irag, which is offering to exchange 5 Boko Haram prisoners for 106 Nigerian girls. The Amir calls in a girl and says that his response to the U.S. and Iraq is that he will send them the head of this girl in a bag.  The American responds that gratuitous barbarity is "beneath the dignity of an Amir". 

The girl then explains that she and the other girls will not leave their new husbands, who represent the true religion, and will die for the cause before leaving their husbands. 

The State Dept. staffer  then meets with the U.S. president's Chief of Staff to explain the failure of his mission and the attitude of the Amir.  A small group of people is at this meeting, a non-governmental "Working Group" that has been working with U.S. government officials to get the girls back.  The Chief of Staff assures them that the U.S. government remains committed to getting the girls back but that it is clear that negotiation is futile so the U.S. no longer will attempt to negotiate. He says that the Working Group and government officials will have to "think outside the box".

The State Dept. staffer collapses, and the story turns to an outbreak of a new virus in Cameroon and Nigeria, the Marburg, that Boko Haram blames on the government, so will not permit medical teams into affected areas where it claims that 'members of the true faith will not die.'

But it turns out that the Amir also is dying from the virus. 

There only are 4 doses in the world of the antidote to the virus, so one is used to save the life of the State Dept. staffer. The Secretary of State begs the president to allow her to try to save the girls by unofficially negotiating with the Amir to save his life.  The President doesn't want to save the life of any Boko Haram leader, particularly this one, who previously sent a dirty bomb to D.C.  The Secretary tells the President to explain his rationale to the girls and to their parents, describing the girls as having been kidnapped and "enslaved".   The special ingredient for the antidote is available in Africa.

The President agrees to permit the Secretary to convince the Cameroon ambassador to send a message to the Amir that the Cameroon government will negotiate with him, as a cover to the US plan to offer the Amir a dose of the antidote in return for allowing medical staff into affected areas and for returning all of the girls. 

As the show ends, the girls are shown being greeted by their parents in an airport."

Another member also alerted the planning committee that the show was on. 

CNN and BBC, are focusing on a 2 year retrospective. We see it as our job to keep reminding the powers that be to redouble efforts to rescue our #ChibokGirls and all others abducted by Boko Haram.

JOIN US ON APRIL 14

  

Here's #BringBackOurGirlsNYC's appeal: Please also tweet at President Buhari and VP Osinbajo, as well as Pres. Obama and Sec. of State Kerry, plus UN Secretary Gen Ban ki Moon.   Below my tweets to them today:

@NGRPresident @ProfOsinbajo Please redouble efforts to rescue our #ChibokGirls April 14 will be 2yrs in BH captivity http://blogs.afp.com/correspondent/?post%2Fchibok-two-years-on

@POTUS #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of #ChibokGirls. Approx 2 yrs Boko Haram captivity. #HopeEndures http://news.trust.org/item/20160408173256-2jw7n

@realJohnKerry #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of #ChibokGirls. Approx 2 yrs in Boko Haram captivity. http://news.trust.org/item/20160408173256-2jw7n

@secgen #BringBackOurGirls. Please prioritize rescue of our ChibokGirls. April 14 = 2 years in Boko Haram captivity. http://news.trust.org/item/20160408173256-2jw7n

My people, can you tweet these things and ask your friends to do likewise?

Another #BBOGNYC stalwart on FB drew attention to the fact that the US Democratic Party's New York City debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders is happening on April 14, which is the 2-year mark of our #ChibokGirls abduction by Boko Haram.  We should remind the two candidates that our girls remain missing. Both candidates are loving grandparents.  Both campaigns have flooded my mailbox with all kinds of solicitation and invitations. I will just keep responding to them with our "What you can do" demands and ask them to say what they're doing to help rescue our #ChibokGirls and all others held captive by brutal Boko Haram.  

Here are my tweets to both:

@HillaryClinton #BringBackOurGirls Pls prioritize rescue of #ChibokGirls. April 14 = 2 yrs in Boko Haram captivity. http://news.trust.org/item/20160408173256-2jw7n

@BernieSanders #BringBackOurGirls Pls prioritize rescue of #ChibokGirls. April 14 = 2 yrs in Boko Haram captivity. http://news.trust.org/item/20160408173256-2jw7n

Please also ask Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders to work on rescuing our #ChibokGirls however they can.

Here are other things you can do to help

Listen to Angelique Kidjo, who's right on point about the origins and perpetuation of Boko Haram violence, and the importance of educating our girls in the African continent:
Angelique Kidjo: Educating Africa’s girls

DAY 3: #BringBackOurGirls Global Week of Action

 

 

 

DAY 2: #BringBackOurGirls GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION FOR #ChibokGirls ABDUCTION #TwoYearsOn

TODAY: DAY 2 

#BRINGBACKOURGIRLS 

GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION 

FOR OUR #CHIBOKGIRLS 

It's heartbreaking that on April 14, it will be 2 years after 276 young girls were abducted from Government Girls' Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria by Boko Haram.  219 of them remain in captivity and have been in Boko Haram captivity for 725 days.  

Join #BringBackOurGirlsNYC at 6pm on Thursday, April 14, 2016, at the United Nations Church Center, 44th Street and 1st Avenue to demand that our #ChibokGirls and all other Nigerians abducted by Boko Haram are rescued and reunited with their families. 

You can help.  Here's what we suggest: