FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome
mojubaolu@gmail.com
(718)
951-5000 x 1742
NYC
Monday 15th August 2016
Yesterday,
on Day 853 after the abduction of our #ChibokGirls, a new “proof of life” video
about our #Chibokgirls was in circulation, broadly disseminated and widely
commented upon in the media. It is
heartrending that these young women have been in captivity for so long in the
hands of brutal, violent insurgents who are determined to use them as
bargaining chips for their diabolical power-seeking agenda. It is unfortunate that our #Chibokgirls have
been left at the mercy of their abductors for 854 days today. We are saddened and disheartened that our
#Chibokgirls families and loved ones have had to cope for so long with their
absence. Nonetheless, we are determined
to be hopeful that our #Chibokgirls and all other abducted Nigerians,
particularly the girls, boys, and women will all be rescued and reunited with
their families by the Nigerian government and the international community.
To quote BringBackOurGirls
in Nigeria’s translation (by Dr. Manasseh Allen, Spokesman of the Kibaku Area
Development Association (KADA) in Abuja) and transcription of some of the
message in the video from the Kibaku language spoken by Dorcas Yakubu:
“Our
parents please exercise patience. We are suffering here. There is no kind of
suffering we haven’t seen. Our sisters are injured, some have wounds on their
heads and bodies. Tell the government to give them their people so we can also
come to be with you. We are all children and we don’t know what to do. The
suffering is too much, please endeavour as we also have exercised patience. There
is nothing you, or we, can do about this but to get their people back to them,
so we can go home. Exercise patience as we also have endured.”
Given that
guaranteeing the safety and security of citizens is a constitutional duty of
the state, the rescue of our #Chibokgirls and all other abducted Nigerians must
be given more priority than observed thus far.
The international community must also rise to the challenge and
demonstrate its commitment to the rescue and reunification of our #Chibokgirls
and all other abducted Nigerians.
The
BringBackOurGirls movement has steadfastly and unflaggingly called for our
#ChibokGirls rescue. The Nigerian government must redouble efforts to rescue
our #Chibokgirls and all other abducted Nigerians. This is key to demonstrating Nigeria’s
sovereignty: that it is not a place where a band of homicidal insurgents can
swoop in, abduct citizens, and hold them in captivity at will. It is key to demonstrating that the Nigerian
state is mindful of its constitutional responsibility to all Nigerian
citizens. It is key to demonstrating
that the Nigerian government cares about the plight of citizens subjected to
cruel and unusual brutality, violence and torture. The international community also owes a
duty. It must demonstrate that its lofty
statements are not just platitudes. When
some of us are insecure, all of us are insecure. The rescue of our #Chibokgirls and all other
abducted Nigerians is a matter of urgent necessity and should be treated as
such. Once the rescue is done,
reunification with their families, psychosocial care, guarantees of safety and
security for affected communities from further insurgent violence is required.
According
to a report by The Guardian, after viewing the video, Dorcas Yakubu, Esther
Yakubu’s mother said with “tears running down her face”:
“From birth, I have
been planning for you – your life, your education, your health. Before you were
kidnapped,” …Up till now, I have not seen or heard anything from you. But I
believe that one day, I will fulfil that, my promise to you, and I will see you
again, and my happiness, my joy, my life will be complete with you.”
How much
pain do we expect parents to bear? How
best can we demonstrate the commitment to rescue their children? We commend BringBackOurGirls in Nigeria for
its proposed march to the Nigerian Presidential Villa at Aso Rock and urge all
people of good conscience to join them in the call for the rescue of our
#Chibokgirls and all other abducted Nigerians and their reunification with
their families. We at
#BringBackOurGirlsNYC support BringBackOurGirls in Nigeria and remain hopeful
that very soon, our #Chibokgirls and all other abducted Nigerians, particularly
the girls, boys, and women will all be rescued and reunited with their families
by the Nigerian government and the international community.
For
#BringBackOurGirlsNYC
Mojúbàolú
Olufúnké Okome
Professor
of Political Science, African & Women's Studies
Leonard
& Claire Tow Professor, 2015/2016
Brooklyn
College, CUNY
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