As the Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu settles into office to begin implementation of his agenda for the country, there will be a lot of scrutiny of the steps he will be taking to address the chronic insecurity across Nigeria. Already, the President has met with the service chiefs and one of the major outcomes of the meeting is the point made about the need for coordination and synergy among all the armed services. While the call for coordination has been greeted with commendation, knowing the fractious relationships which has affected inter-service collaboration, not much soundbite was heard from the President when it comes to the plight of Nigerians, especially school children abducted by terrorists. Many of these victims of abductions have remained in captivity for long, leaving their parents and loved ones in extended state of trauma.
Back in April 2014, one of the most horrendous events, which signposted the growing level of insecurity in Nigeria was the abduction of the Chibok Girls. That unfortunate event caused different kinds of reactions including international condemnation, and protests, as well as calls for the release or rescue of the girls from the den of Boko Haram terrorists. Nine years down the line, activists, civil society organizations and the media have refused to forget the plight of these citizens who have in several cases spent years in terrorists’ den. At a recent documentary screening held in Abuja, Women Radio 97.1, Nigeria first female centric radio brought stakeholders across the media and civic space to reflect on the plight of the Chibok Girls, and other vulnerable children who remain in the captivity of terrorists.
READ ALSO: Civic Group Slams President Tinubu Over Fuel Subsidy Removal
The event, which attracted gender and human rights activists, was opened with the screening of a documentary, which chronicled the nearly one decade of anguish and pains experienced by the families of the abductees. While many Nigerians have moved on with their lives, the documentary served as a reminder that the country and its security system have continued to fail the Chibok Girls, and all other abducted children who remain in the den of the terrorists. One of the painful realities, which came out of the documentary was the fact that the government at both national and sub-national levels have not done enough to bring back the girls or provide their families with the needed psycho social support. It was also a tale of sorrow and tears when members of the audience reflected on the plight of the Dapchi school children, including the plight of Leah Sharibu who has been in the den of terrorists five years after.
Up to the twilight of the Buhari administration, active citizens campaigning for the release of all abducted Nigerians, kept up the pressure on the government to go the extra mile to rescue all victims of abductions. Now that President Tinubu is in the driver’s seat, activists and campaigners will surely step up the pressure for all citizens being held by terrorists to be freed. One unfortunate reality when it comes to the abduction of these citizens is the fact that previous governments have not summoned the political will to give the necessary attention to the families of the abductees. The lamentations of families of victims’ point to the fact that the required psycho-social support for families in such traumatic state was never provided by the government. In the case of Leah Sharibu for instance, apart from one or two calls from the President and the Minister of Information to the families, no further calls came from the government. Campaigners have decried this situation, noting that the nation’s leaders have not given the solidarity and support needed by a family facing such traumatizing reality.
Reflecting on the long list of abducted Nigerians has also compelled reflections on broader issues such as the urgent need for a missing person’s register to provide a documentation point for victims of kidnapping and abductions, especially those who have been missing for years and have not be found. Although the Tinubu Presidency has just started the process of tooling itself for the purpose of governing the country, campaigners and activists are hoping the new government would not turn a blind eye to the plight of hundreds of citizens languishing in the captivity of terrorists. It is for this reason that various groups would have been expecting that the President would give the marching orders to the security chiefs to ensure all such victims are rescued and returned safely to their families. Although the Tinubu Presidency is just beginning to find its bearing, the parents of those in captivity cannot be accused of asking too early, especially in the light of the traumatic experiences they have had to face all these years.
