SAN FRANCISCO, December 05, (THEWILL) – The Abuja BringBackOurGirls family Wednesday staged a protest to the Chadian Embassy in continuation of its long drawn advocacy to seek the release of the 219 Chibok girls still in Boko Haram custody.
Not satisfied with the response of the Ambassador of Chad to crucial questions bordering on the status of the negotiations to release the Chibok girls, purportedly brokered by the Chadian Government, including the whereabouts of the girls and various media reports suggesting that some of the girls might actually be in Chad, the group said it had resolved to write to the Chadian President , Idriss Deby, through the Embassy of Chad in Nigeria, in order to ascertain responses to the sundry questions that remain unanswered.
A statement jointly signed on behalf of the group by Obiageli Ezekwesili, Hadiza Bala Usman, Maryam Uwais and Saudatu Mahdi, said: “As ECOWAS Citizens, we rely on the provisions of the ECOWAS treaty particularly Chapter 10, Article 58: 1 which states ‘Member States undertake to work to safeguard and consolidate relations conducive to the maintenance of peace, stability and security within the region’ and Chapter 11, Article 63: 1 ‘Member States undertake to formulate, harmonise, co-ordinate and establish appropriate policies and mechanisms, for enhancement of the economic, social and cultural conditions of women. These provisions in the ECOWAS treaty strengthen our believe that our neighboring countries of Chad, Niger, Benin owe our Chibok Girls an obligation to fully collaborate with our Government in their rescue activities.”
The group said it is determined to continue to mount pressure on the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders to prioritise the rescue of the 219 Chibok girls, as well as all other Nigerians abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents.
“The Abuja Family also intends to take all legitimate steps, within their capacity, to bring to an end the ongoing insurgency, which has claimed numerous lives and disrupted societal cohesion, especially in the North Eastern part of Nigeria.”
“We shall not cease to mobilise our citizens to compel the Federal Government to take adequate steps to end the ongoing insurgency, which has claimed numerous lives and disrupted societal cohesion in Nigeria, especially the North East,” the statement added.
