Oyo Women and Children Join Protest Against the Abducted Chibok Girls

Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, the wife of the Oyo State Governor, led thousands of women and schoolchildren on Thursday on a protest rally against the abduction of over 200 pupils of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram about three weeks ago.

After offering prayers at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, in the morning, the protesters marched through Mokola, Parliament Road to the Governor’s Office where a letter was delivered to Governor Abiola Ajimobi for onward transmission to President Goodluck Jonathan. The letter was demanding the immediate release of the abducted girls.

 

Ajimobi, his deputy, Moses Alake, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu, and members of the State Executive Council received the women and children at the governor’s office.

 

Speaking on the unfortunate incident, Mrs. Ajimobi said that the rally was organised by the women from across the state to express their grief and sadness over the kidnapped girls.

 

She said, “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.”

 

In his response, the governor described the kidnap as barbaric.

 

“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.

 

He added that what happened in Chibok was the worst form of terrorism in Nigeria.

 

“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 mother, they have kidnapped close to 4,000 Nigerians,” said the governor.

Ajimobi, therefore, called on President Jonathan and the security agencies to act immediately to secure the release of the girls.