An Unfulfilled Promise

 BBOG group

 One year after 297 girls were abducted from Government College, Chibok in Borno State, it has been a promise unfulfilled for the remaining 219 girls still in captivity. Chiemelie Ezeobi chronicles the struggle

 
   Prior to April 14, 2014, Chibok Town was just one of the obscure towns in Borno State until the Boko Haram sect struck and made the town very popular, but for a very bad reason.

  The sect had struck at Chibok Government College, Borno State that fateful night and abducted 276 girls in one fell swoop. That began the days of turmoil and anguish for the affected families.

  Although the school had been closed for four weeks prior to the attack due to the security situation at that time, the students had been recalled to take final exams in physics amidst heavy military presence.

  When the news of the abduction broke, it was first received as a rumour until the parents of the abducted girls began to speak up. The confirmation of the abduction was further concretized when sect had claimed responsibility and in a video they released, promised to treat them as slaves. In the video, the girls were garbed in hijab.

  Three weeks after they were abducted, the Federal Government had said they were not in the know of where the girls were taken.

  Shocked at the brazen abduction of the girls despite military presence, street protests and online campaigns were held with hashtags such as #BringBackOurGirls, #AbductedBornoSchoolGirls, #ChibokGirls.

  The list of Christians released by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the girls were identified as Deborah Abge Christian, Awa Abge, Hauwa Yirma, Asabe Manu, Mwa Malam Pogu, Patiance Dzakwa, Saraya Mal. Stover, Mary Dauda, Gloria Mainta, Hanatu Ishaku, Gloria Dama and Tabitha Pogu.

  Others were Maifa Dama, Ruth Kollo, Esther Usman, Awa James, Anthonia Yahonna, Kume Mutah, Aisha Ezekial, Nguba Buba, Kwanta Simon, Kummai Aboku, Esther Markus, Hana Stephen, Rifkatu Amos, Rebecca Mallum, Blessing Abana, Ladi Wadai, Tabitha Hyelampa and Ruth Ngladar.

  Also abducted were Safiya Abdu, Naomi Yahonna, Solomi Titus, Rhoda John, Rebecca Kabu, Christy Yahi, Rebecca Luka, Laraba John, Saratu Markus, Mary Usman, Debora Yahonna, Naomi Zakaria, Hanatu Musa, Hauwa Tella, Juliana Yakubu, Suzana Yakubu, Saraya Paul, Jummai Paul, Mary Sule and Jummai John.

  Not left out were Yanke Shittima, Muli Waligam, Fatima Tabji, Eli Joseph, Saratu Emmanuel, Deborah Peter, Rahila Bitrus, Luggwa Sanda, Kauna Lalai, Lydia Emmar, Laraba Maman, Hauwa Isuwa, Comfort Habila, Hauwa Abdu, Hauwa Balti, Yana Joshua, Laraba Paul, Saraya Amos, Glory Yaga and Naomi Bitrus.

  Also, Godiya Bitrus, Awa Bitrus, Naomi Luka, Maryamu Lawan, Tabitha Silas, Mary Yahona, Ladi Joel, Rejoice Sanki, Luggwa Samuel, Comfort Amos, Saraya Samuel, Sicker Abdul, Talata Daniel, Rejoice Musa, Deborah Abari, Salomi Pogu, Mary Amor, Ruth Joshua, Esther John, Esther Ayuba, Maryamu Yakubu, Zara Ishaku, Maryamu Wavi, Lydia Habila, Laraba Yahonna, Naomi Bitrus, Rahila Yahanna, Ruth Lawan, Ladi Paul and Mary Paul, were also abducted.

  Others include, Esther Joshua, Helen Musa, Margret Watsai, Deborah Jafaru, Filo Dauda, Febi Haruna, Ruth Ishaku, Racheal Nkeki, Rifkatu Soloman, Mairama Yahaya, Saratu Dauda, Jinkai Yama, Margret Shettima, Yana Yidau, Grace Paul, Amina Ali, Palmata Musa, Awagana Musa, Pindar Nuhu and Yana Pogu.
  Other girls’ names on the list included: Saraya Musa, Hauwa Joseph, Hauwa Kwakwi, Hauwa Musa, Maryamu Musa, Maimuna Usman, Rebeca Joseph, Liyatu Habitu, Rifkatu Yakubu, Naomi Philimon, Deborah Abbas, Ladi Ibrahim, Asabe Ali, Maryamu Bulama, Ruth Amos, Mary Ali and Abigail Bukar.

  Deborah Amos, Saraya Yanga, Kauna Luka, Christiana Bitrus, Yana Bukar, Hauwa Peter, Hadiza Yakubu, Lydia Simon, Ruth Bitrus, Mary Yakubu, Lugwa Mutah, Muwa Daniel, Hanatu Nuhu, Monica Enoch, Margret Yama, Docas Yakubu, Rhoda Peter, Rifkatu Galang, Saratu Ayuba, Naomi Adamu, Hauwa Ishaya, Rahap Ibrahim, Deborah Soloman, Hauwa Mutah, Hauwa Takai and Serah Samuel, were also abducted.

  The abducted Muslim schoolgirls were Aishatu Musa, Aishatu Grema, Hauwa Nkeki, Hamsatu Abubakar, Mairama Abubakar, Hauwa Wule, Ihyi Abdu, Hasana Adamu, Rakiya Kwamtah, Halima Gamba, Aisha Lawan, Kabu Malla, Yayi Abana, Falta Lawan and Kwadugu Manu

  So far, from the 276 girls abducted, 57 were said to have escaped from the terrorist's hideout in Sambisa forest, while 219 of them are still missing.




  The Bring Back Our Girls Campaign
  On April 30, 2014, the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group was borne and had since the girls were abducted kept the faith despite all odds.

  Led by the duo of the former Minister of Education and Dr Oby Ezekwesili and Hadiza Bala Usman, the group has become a worldwide phenomenon. Week after week, they staged marches, protests, had meetings, all on strategies to bring the girls back.

  The group even had a global week of action to mobilise everyone around the world to demand for the immediate rescue of our Chibok girls and end this humanitarian tragedy.

  Everyday, the group met at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, where they held daily sit outs despite the elements, praying, encouraging themselves and liaising on the way forward.

  Also pushing for the release of the girls was forefront promoter of BBOG campaign from Women For Peace and Justice Movement, Aisha Oyebode, who held series of marches

  In one of the marches, she had said, "This movement is a reminder of how in unity we are powerful. We the people in Nigeria and our friends around the world have brought international support to find the missing girls.

  "We have put pressure on the Nigerian Government to do more but until these girls are back with their families it is not enough. It is important that we keep the momentum up so that these girls do not become yesterday's news until they are safe. So please spread the word."



  The Many Struggles of the BBOG Group
  Expectedly, the unflinching stance of the group was not without some challenges. They have had to battle with the elements, snide remarks, countless accusations and even physical confrontations.

  During one of their sit-outs in Abuja, the then Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu had attempted to disrupt their gathering, threatening to arrest them for disturbing the peace of the city.

  Believing firmly in the rule of law, the group sought legal redress, also for restraining order against the police, and they were later backed up the Inspector General of Police, who distanced himself from the attempt to arrest the group.

  It was during one of such attempts to besmirch the campaign that Ezekwesili, went for the jugular of those seemingly opposing their efforts, calling them heathens.

  She had said, "I had to offload my fury on those who should consolidate effort at rescuing our #ChibokGirls but are rather directing energy at wrong targets. Heathens who proudly work evil thinking that the creator of eyes and ears can neither see nor hear. Hear me well, God is not mocked.

  "Heathens who seeing public office as a spoil can never  understand we who passed through same office and spat on those ignoble and accursed wealth. If even the parents of the girls abducted them, would we as a sane nation not do everything to rescue them? What then is the irritation about?

  "Heathens wish that we should feel guilt for standing for the cause of the vulnerable children of our nation. We shall stand on. Heathens wish to embed a culture of wickedness as the spirit of our shared humanity? No. It cannot be, Keep on raging. We"ll keep demanding.

  "These heathen just cannot get it. How can they? Heartless, they make double Victims of #ChibokGirls who were already victims. Heartless lot!"

  Condemning claims that they were paid by the opposition she said, "These heathens imagine vain things by lying to themselves that our empathy is opposition inspired, money or power induced. Heartless lot. We who will not stop demanding for our #ChibokGirls. Take joy in persisting. No matter how loud the heathens rage and imagine vain things.

  "We have reason to thank God for keeping filthy minds far from us. Filthy minds for whom money and power are reason to ignore the #ChibokGirls. Let it be known to all that nothing the Federal Government and their minions do to me for standing for the #ChibokGirls shall ever dissuade me.

  "Heathens who have decided that we all must join and call bad, good and good, bad. We who refused are torn at. You waste your time."

  This came right at heels of the recent twitter clash between her and the presidential Senior Special Assistant  on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, where the latter called her out, adding that grouse was her inability to accept Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's sublime supremacy over her.




  A Year Down the Line
  Like a thief in the night, the Boko Haram sect had struck and abducted the girls on April 14, 2014, and smuggled them out to Sambisa forest in trucks without
  resistance.

  It took the government weeks before they could actually verify how many students were abducted and where they were taken to. Of course, the parents of the abducted girls flayed the lackadaisical attitude of the government.

  When the government was not forthcoming in rescuing the girls, the parents led by the BBOG group held a peaceful protest in May. The march was not just in Abuja but was simultaneously done in many states across the country.

  To show solidarity to the group, world leaders and famous celebrities joined the hashtag #BBOG including United States First Lady, Michelle Obama and activist, Malala Yousafzai.

  It was also in May that Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, in a video claimed responsibility for the abduction and vowed to sell off the girls as slave brides, even as he said he had converted the girls to Islam.

  When it became clear that the girls were actually abducted, the international community attempted to help and countries like China, Israel, France, Britain and Unites States provided some level of intelligence gathering.

  This came at the heels of the claims by Amnesty International that the Nigerian military were forewarned about four hours before attack but, they claimed they could not muster enough security personnel, an allegation they have since denied.

  In September 23, 2014, one of the girls, Susan Ishaya escaped and it was announced on Ezekwesili's twitter handle at about 11.17pm. The traumatised girl was rushed to the hospital for treatment. But that was it, till now, the 219 missing girls are yet to be found

  In October, the BBOG group tried to march to the presidency to commemorate the six months anniversary of the missing girls, but they were stopped.

  This year, the Federal Government announced plans of rebuilding the school where the girls were kidnapped from, an action the bereaved parents said was not necessary since the girls were still missing.

  Their hopes were buoyed when the military began its onslaught against the sect and recovered all the claimed cities. But their hopes were dashed when the military announced that they have no idea where the girls were.

  This would not be the first time their hopes would be dashed. Severally, the military would announce that the girls have been rescued, only for the news to turn out to be false.

  One one of such occasions, the Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, had said the girls would be rescued within a given period.

  Even recently, he said the onslaught against the sect was prolonged because the military were not in possession of adequate machineries needed in the proscription of the sect.

  He had said the recent successes recorded was because the military had taken deliver of the military hardware, which it had placed orders for at the inception of the Boko Haram crisis.

  Another of such promise was made by the then Minister of state for Defence,  Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who said the government was working assiduously to rescue the girls.

  He had said, “Let me say that as a father, all hands are on deck to ensure that those girls are brought back. I know, because I see the President everyday and I know he is pained that those girls are out there.

  "All it takes to appreciate what the president is going through is to sit back and switch roles , so you can imagine the pain. I am also pained because I have daughters and I would not want them abducted for anything and having said that I want to let you know that everything humanly possible is being done to return those girls."

  The hopes of the group and the bereaved families was again raised by the purported cease fire deal between the Federal Government and the sect, which part of the deal was the release of the Chibok girls.

  Badeh had on a certain Friday,  October 17, 2014, announced the ceasefire with instruction to service chiefs to comply immediately.

  Afterwards, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, had revealed the role played by the Prime Minister of Chad, Idris Derby, adding that the abducted Chibok schoolgirls would be released and the Boko Haram menace would become history in no distant time.

  Stating that negotiations started months ago, he said  part of the deal was the release of the wife of the deputy prime minister of Cameroun, Chinese officials and the traditional ruler of a border town between Nigeria and Cameroun.

  Unsurprisingly, the sect reneged. As time went on, it became clear that the purported ceasefire was merely a ploy to get the military to backdown especially as they had the upper hand at that period.

  Days after the ceasefire would be, the sect launched deadly attacks on Azur village near Shaffa town in Hawul local government area of Borno and killed no fewer than eight persons.

  When local vigilante, known as Civilian JTF, went to the village to bury the victims, they were also killed and on that same day, they hoisted their flag in Abadam, a border community between Borno State and Niger Republic after they had killed about 40 innocent residents in their attack on the community.

  Again, two hours after the ceasefire, about 60 women (40 from Waga Mangoro and 20 from Garta), were said to have been allegedly kidnapped by Boko Haram from Waga Mangoro and Garta villages in Madagali local government area of Adamawa State.

  With the outrage the botched deal elicited, it was the parents of the abducted girls and BBOG group that suffered the worse for it.

  Expressing the feeling of the group, Ezekwesili had lamented that the group cannot afford the luxury of hopeless disappointment, given the dashed hopes, squashed joy and diminished euphoria.



  Hopes Dims for Chibok Girls?
  For many, Are they even alive? Are they still in Nigeria? are some of the questions that still begs for answers. Recently, an official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr. Raad Zeid al Hussein, had said that the girls may have been slaughtered in Bama.

  He had premised his verdict on the fact that the girls may have been part of the women who were murdered by the insurgents before they fled from Bama and other towns in Borno State just before the Nigerian military and allied forces from Chad and Niger recovered the territories.

  According to him, various reports at his department in Geneva showed that "the recent recovery of territories in the north east brought to light macabre scenes of mass graves and more obvious signs of killings by Boko Haram.

  "The use of children by Boko Haram as expendable cannon meat  and human bombs could, if confirmed, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

  "There are persistent and credible reports of serious violations by the Nigerian security forces and other countries in their fight against Boko Haram, and called for “complete and fully transparent investigations by the authorities."

  But the Federal Government immediately rose up to debunk the rumours. The  Coordinator of National Information Centre (NIC), Mr Mike Omeri, who debunked the report said all is not lost yet as regard rescuing the girls.

  He said, "The search for Chibok girls continues and that is why even with capture of Bama and the rest, security and military have never relented, and until it is concluded, we cannot begins to believe speculation.

  "I think the one year anniversary is next week (yesterday), and we hope to give a comprehensive report on what we know so far, and how far the searching has gone.

  "So, the assurance I will give you, is that everywhere is being combed and whatever element we found will be revealed to appropriate authority and nobody is going to keep anything secret.”

  However, as when the anniversary of the missing girls clocked one, the comprehensive report promised was yet to be made public.

  Still keeping faith, Ezekwesili however said they won't think of possibility of death, adding that they can still be rescued before May 29.

  She said, "We are tying red ribbons this in commemoration of the one year remembrance of the kidnapped girls, on the 14th of April, sadly, it will be exactly one year since the girls were taken.

  "We refused to speculate as to whether they are alive or dead we don’t even want to think about the possibility of death, we know that they must bring back the girls, their parents are still waiting for them, they are holding on to a slim hope that the girls will be rescued.

  "How can our country move on without 219 citizens that can still be rescued, it just doesn’t make sense, no society grows by abandoning its citizens."

  Also re-echoing her sentiments, the Chairman of the Chibok community in Abuja, Hosea Abana, expressed dis-satisfaction with the level of search.

  “I believe the girls are still alive, I am not sure that they have combed Sambisa as they may want us to believe, Sambisa is very large. I don’t know where the girls are but I refuse to share the view that they have been killed.

  “The girls that we called for their return 360 days ago are still not back with their parents. People want to move on, but we can’t afford to move on, we must find our girls and bring them back."




  Global Action for One Year Anniversary
  To commemorate the one year anniversary of the abduction of the 219 still in captivity, the BBOG said one of such measures was the global week of action.

  Co-conveners, Ezekwesili and Usman, had disclosed that 219 #ChibokGirlsAmbassadors will be presented to the world on the one year anniversary as they join BBOG all around the world in the #GlobalSchoolGirlsMarch to march for the missing girls.

  The group had said, "We are all saddened as the one year of this heinous abduction approached. However, we are organising to commemorate this sad event if they aren’t back by then.

  "There is also the Chibok Girls Ambassadors. Schoolgirls aged 10 -18 who would volunteer to stand for our missing Chibok girls. Schools would also be able to participate by organizing marches called the Global School Girl March.

  "During our Special Global Week Of Action commemorating our #ChibokGirls’ abduction, we shall like to have all our friends across Nigeria and the world to join in and support our activities in their different communities, cities and countries.

  " And, we wish to demand expeditious global campaign to accelerate all efforts being coordinated by the Nigerian Government and her allies towards their rescue.

  "The effort of every man and woman, far and near, in this particular period will be critical in driving the required renewed demand and pressure to find our girls and bring them home to their parents.

  "A day in the captivity of terrorists is agonizingly dreadful enough. One year is too much and too difficult to imagine. Our #ChibokGirls are innocent global citizens that the world must ensure are #NeverToBeForgotten."

  On the eve of the anniversary, the group said the week of global action was to raise awareness and also demand expeditious global campaign to accelerate all efforts being coordinated by the Nigerian Government and her allies towards their rescue.

  The one week of global action began last week Wednesday at a media briefing at Unity Fountain, in Abuja, where the plans for the commemoration was unveiled.

  The next day, the group held a walkathon and repeated the same exercise on Friday, but this time tied the red ribbon from Unity Fountain all the way up
  Shehu Shagari Way, up to Force Headquarters and back.

  Also, that same day, special prayers were made at Unity Fountain in Abuja, and a sermon with topic 'The role of girl child education in Islam', delivered.

  On Saturday saw the group have a social media network awareness especially on Twitter where they succeeded in having a tweethaton.

  The next day being Sunday, the group held a special service in churches across Nigeria and the world, where the prayer request was for a miracle that would bring the girls back alive.

  Although the special commemorative service billed to hold yesterday was postponed for a later date, the  #ChibokGirls monument was unveiled, after which a vigil and candlelight procession was held.

  Another highlight of the commemorative action was the plan to select 219 Chibok ambassadors who yesterday carried the message for the rescue of the girls.

  According to co-Convener, BBOG and former Minster of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, "Their peers that signed up and were selected as our #ChibokGirlsAmbassadors will be the ones carrying the message for their rescue."

  The #ChibokGirls Ambassadors, who are part of the Global Schoolgirl March, staged a march yesterday  from the Unity Fountain to the Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

  Also to mark the anniversary of the missing girls, THISDAY gathered that the famous Empire State Building, was be lit heart day  in purple and red in honour of the BBOG campaign.

  The organisers explained that while the red colour stands for the BBOG chosen colour, the purple stands for the campaign to end violence against women.

  Also showing their support, about 900 Bangladesh Students yesterday stood in solidarity with the BBOG group in Nigeria, creating the hashtag #EndChildMarriage.

  In a picture posted on the twitter handle of @WGLBangladesh, it showed girls with cut-out papers spelling out 'Bring Back Our Girls' at the Tillagaon High School, in Kuluara, Mouivibazar, Bangladesh.

  In the same vein, Nobel peace laureate 17-year old Malala Yousafzai wrote a letter to the Chibok girls, where she lamented that both the Nigerian government and international community failed them.

  She said, "In my opinion, Nigerian leaders and the international community have not done enough to help you. They must do much more to help secure your release. I am among many people pressuring them to make sure you are freed.

  "Nigerian forces are re-gaining territory and protecting more schools. Nigeria’s newly elected president, Muhammadu Buhari, has vowed to make securing your freedom a top priority and promised his government will not tolerate violence against women and girls.

  "I look forward to the day I can hug each one of you, pray with you and celebrate your freedom with your families. Until then, stay strong and never lose hope. You are my heroes."

  Also in Lagos today, the Women for Peace and Justice group, one of the foremost group championing the cause of the missing girls, would hold a briefing and rally to mark the one year anniversary.

  According to information by one Temitope Olajiga, the
  Client Service for C&F | Porter Novelli, the rally will kick off at Falomo roundabout between 6pm to 8pm.



  Security Expert Speak
  While the clamour for the rescue of the girls continues to soar, renowned security expert and President, Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), Dr. Ona Ekhomu, said the sect may abduct more school girls.

  Speaking to THISDAY, Ekhomu warned that the Boko Haram terrorist sect may abduct more school girls from the northeast of the country unless robust school security measures are put in place to forestall such occurrence.

  He said, “Given the world-wide publicity and notoriety that BH got from seizing the Chibok school girls, Shekau is likely to run such a play again in order to call attention to his group -- despite its apparent defeat by the Nigerian military."

  Calling for the creation of standards of security to harden educational institutions against terrorist attacks, he urged school authorities and state governments in the north to urgently design security master plans for schools in order to safeguard students and teachers from terrorist attacks.

  Describing the plight of the Chibok girls as tragic, he said, "I’m sure that most of the girls have been given away to terrorist commanders or sold off as wives or as sex slaves by Shekau."

  He also said that the most important lesson of the Chibok mass abduction was for the authorities to be proactive in the implementation of security measures aimed at protecting students from mass abductions or mass murder.

  While commending the successful military campaign in the northeast which has resulted in reclaiming territories previously held by the insurgents, he however warned that Boko Haram had not been defeated.

  He said, "They have merely gone underground from where they can mount stealth attacks, such recent attacks in Njaba, Maiduguri and Kwajafa which have resulted in mass fatalities.

  "Recall that many Schools had been successfully attacked by Boko Haram including Bayero University Kano, the University of Maiduguri, Federal Polytechnic Mubi, School of Hygiene Technology in Kano, Government Girls Secondary School Mamudo - Yobe State, Government Secondary School Buni Yadi - Yobe State.

  "The Boko Haram sect had previously taken several female hostages from various schools in Yobe and Borno states. The seizure of girls in Chibok was not the first such incident.

  "Thus, safe school initiative is not being focused on protecting school populations, rather the initiative was “British culture-bound” focusing on infrastructure development, emergency relief and rehabilitation of the Chibok girls who may never be found.

  "Rather than on preventive, detective or reactive physical security measures that could address the existential threat to schools in northern Nigeria.

  "Security experts needs to be be involved in conducting vulnerability assessments and threat assessment of schools in order to develop workable School security master plans.

  "The plans should include concentric layers of protective measures, smoke bombs to conceal students in their hostels from marauders, electrified hardware to lock-down the school in the event of an invasion by malevolent individuals.

  "The plan should include security awareness training for Schools including teachers and students. He recommended the purchase of a book entitled Effective Personal and Corporate Security for Schools to help them develop their security awareness programs.

  "The authorities to establish a 911 emergency response system for taking calls from persons in distress. Also, there should be professionally manned-emergency calls centers in order to avoid exposing callers to grave risk."

  Addressing the incoming president-elect, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, Ekhomu urged him to, "Focus on the security of the vulnerable population in Schools in the northern part of the country.

  "The security of schools from Boko Haram attacks should form an important part of the new government’s security architecture."

  As the anniversary of the missing girls clocks one, the desire of the group is to see these girls return to their families, although speculations are rife that the girls have either been married off, killed and sold into slavery.

  For the BBOG group, the priority of the president-elect should be the  rescue of the missing 219 girls. According to Ezekwesili, it should be a topmost agenda during this transition period.

  The group further said that "if the girls are not back by that date, they will continue demanding #BringBackOurGirls, and won't stop, not until they are back and alive."

  Now, with the statement credited to the president-elect, where he said he can't promise his government would find the missing Chibok girls, but would do anything within their power to secure their release, the group are certain to remain unflinching in their resolve.
  On the anniversary of their abduction, Buhari had in a statement said, "Today is a time to reflect on the pain and suffering of the victims, their friends and families. Our thoughts and prayers, and that of the whole Nigerian Nation, are with you today.
  " I want to assure all of them, and particularly the parents, that when my new Administration takes office at the end of May, we will do everything we can to defeat Boko Haram. We will act differently from the Government we replace: we hear the anguish of our citizens and intend to respond accordingly.
"This new approach must also begin with honesty. We do not know if the Chibok girls can be rescued. Their whereabouts remain unknown. As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find them.
"But I say to every parent, family member and friend of the children that my Government will do everything in its power to bring them home. What I can pledge, with absolute certainty, is that starting on the first day of my Administration Boko Haram will know the strength of our collective will and commitment to rid this nation of terror, and bring back peace and normalcy to all the affected areas. Boko Haram” means “Western Education is Sinful”.

"When they are defeated militarily, as they will be, we will ensure our citizens in the affected areas have improved educational opportunities as a direct counterbalance to Boko Haram’s twisted ideology.
In particular we will educate ever more young girls ensuring they are empowered as citizens of Nigeria.

"Let us use this anniversary to remind each other that the attack on Chibok was an attack on the dreams and aspirations of our young people. We stand united in our pledge to resist terror in Nigeria– not just through military means but also through the power of opportunity and the hope of a better future for all."

Although the fate of the remaining 219 girls remains unknown, it yet behooves the Nigerian Government not to fail in rescuing them from captivity despite the one year already spent in captivity.