BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 09, (THEWILL) – As the search for the abducted Chibok girls continues, the Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, has resorted to seeking divine intervention on the matter as he declared a three-day fasting and prayer programme for the safe return of the girls.
The governor declared the programme on Friday while addressing members of Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA) in Chibok who were protesting the seizure of the girls in Maiduguri, the state capital.
Disclosing that the programme will hold between Monday and Wednesday next week, Shettima said: ” We are calling on all Muslims and Christians to embark on a three day fasting to seek God help towards rescuing our girls,” adding “All of us must fast because we worship the same God.”
Lamenting that the abduction of the school girls had generated some political undertone, the governor said “There is no politics or religious issues in this, all what we want is the safe return of our girls.”
Shettima however expressed gratitude to the international community for what he described as the concerned shown over the abduction .
“We thank the international community, especially the American First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama for the concern on the issue.
“We pray that our prayers will be answered and our girls will come back safety,” the governor said as he lamented that some people were doubting if the abduction ever took place.
“It is sad that some individuals were questioning the genuineness of the abduction case. It is callous for any individual to think that we just created the story that our girls have been abducted.
“For a people who have been traumatised by the mass abduction of their precious daughters, the accusation is unfair,” he said.
KADA spokesman Mr. Alabe Grema had urged the Federal Government to take concrete step towards freeing the abducted girls
“We plead with the Federal Government to intensity efforts towards ensuring safe return of our girls. Our people have been faced with psychological trauma following the abduction of the girls.
“Some have even gone mad due to the trauma of the abduction,” he said as he commended Shettima for his efforts in rescuing the girls.
” We wish to commend the state governor for standing by us and the show of concern over the abduction,” he said as he
presented a letter to Shettima for onward delivery to president Good luck Jonathan on the issue.
” We want him to remain focus till the logical end of the issue,” he added.
