Oyo women, school children protest kidnap of Chibok school girls
Wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, on Thursday led thousands of women and school children on a protest rally against the abduction of the 234 students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State kidnapped by Boko Haram members about three weeks ago.
The women and the school children had earlier held a prayer session at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan from where they marched through Mokola, Parliament Road to the Governor’s Office where a letter demanding the immediate release of the abducted girls from President Goodluck Jonathan was presented to the governor.
Mrs. Ajimobi, while speaking, said that the rally was organized by the women from across the state to express their grief and sadness over the innocent girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram members, with their whereabouts still remaining unknown.
“We are begging Mr. President in the name of God to ensure the immediate release of our children. We want our children back. All we are saying is `give us back our children’,’’ she said.
Governor Ajimobi, while addressing the crowd alongside his deputy, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu and members of the State Executive Council, described the kidnap as barbaric and an act of savagery.
“This act of savagery, barbarism, inhuman and ungodly disposition is an assault on our psyche. It is an assault on our security and a challenge to our safety. It is indeed an assault on the human race and, of course, on humanity,’’ he said.
According to him, what has happened in Chibok is the worst result of terrorism in Nigeria today.
“I have read several times people saying that Boko Haram kidnapped 234 girls. They have not kidnapped only 234 girls, they have kidnapped our joy of motherhood; they have kidnapped our mothers of tomorrow.
“And if you look at it, as mothers of tomorrow, at an average of four children per girl, they have kidnapped close to 936 girls. If you multiply it by another four grand children (on the average) per a mother, they have kidnapped close to 4,000 Nigerians. If you go on and on to generations, they have kidnapped millions of Nigerians. And these millions are not only the mothers of tomorrow, they are our leaders of the future. They are the backbone of our household. In fact, they are the sunshine of our lives,’’ he said.
Governor Ajimobi said that the unfortunate incident posed serious challenge to the security and safety of the entire citizenry of Nigeria.
He called on President Jonathan and the security agencies to act immediately to secure the release of the girls, adding that all Nigerians must also come together and do all they could to bring them back.
With the rally, he said that the women and the school children had played their own role on the Chibok incident, charging all Nigerian men, as fathers, not to also rest on their oars in getting freedom for the affected girls.
The governor stressed the need for Nigerians to be more vigilant, particularly at market places and other crowded areas and report any strange movement, abandoned vehicles and buildings, and clear bushes within their vicinity to protect their security.
