Almost three years after the abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School in Chibok town, Borno State, the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaign group, has gathered together in a protest at the nation’s capital.
Kicking off a week-long slate of activities designed to raise fresh awareness on the need for the girls to return, the BBOG convener, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, said the Federal Government must do everything required to make 2017 the last year of the girls’ captivity.
The BBOG convener further noted that previous timelines given by government for the release of the girls must be respected and met, moving forward.
On January 8, 2017, it became 1,000 days since the girls were abducted by Boko Haram militants.
Although some of them have since been released and others managed to escape, as at January, at least 195 girls were still said to be in captivity.
Their abduction drew international attention to the activities of the armed group in Nigeria’s north-east region, with several world leaders including former British Prime Minister, David Cameron, as well as wife of the then U.S. President, Michelle Obama, calling for the girls’ release.
The President, Muhammadu Buhari, had earlier assured the group of the Federal Government’s commitment in securing the release of the remaining youngsters.