More Nigerians on Wednesday mounted pressure on the Federal Government and the Defence Headquarters to urgently produce the abducted 190 pupils of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.
Gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram members, invaded the school about midnight nine days ago and abducted the pupils.
But, on Wednesday, anger and resentment topped the reactions of many Nigerians on social media sites as they urged the Federal Government and security operatives to produce the girls safely and urgently.
Noting that the country has become a “sorry state”, many of the commentators expressed concern about the whereabouts and the fate of the abducted pupils.
The Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on the Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said that with the abduction of the girls, there was the need for more unity among Nigerian mothers.
According to her, women from different parts of the country must speak with one voice and demand the immediate release of the girls “at all costs.”
Writing on her Twitter page, she urged various women groups to “mobilise” and ask the authorities to account for the missing girls.
Lamenting that the manner of their abduction was worrisome and baffling, she queried the security agencies, especially the military for not being alive to their responsibilities.
“As mothers, we must be united and mobilise ourselves in demanding that our children be found at all costs. Our voices are not loud enough. There is the need to find these girls immediately. I still can’t imagine how over 200 girls will be transported in buses through checkpoints and no one noticed them,” she said.
An Abuja-based human rights activist, Tal Nabiye, who also expressed shock that young girls were targets for terrorists, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to devise means of urgently curtailing the Boko Haram insurgency
She said on her Twitter page, “It is quite sad that these wicked men continue to perpetrate violence on the girl-child. How traumatic this experience will be for these girls.”
For an online activist, Seun Fakuade, astonishment and surprise topped his comments on the abduction.
According to him, he is perplexed, depressed, dumbfounded and astounded by the continued incarceration of the girls.
Declaring that Nigerians are gradually becoming “numb to tragedy”, he called on trade unions, labour organisations and human rights groups to mount pressure on the Federal Government and the security agencies to intensify efforts in producing the girls.
He also accused the Presidency of failing to brief the public on its current efforts in the search, saying Nigeria is gradually “losing its soul and future.”
He added, “If those girls are ours, would we be still and relaxed and feel unconcerned? We have become numb to tragedy. Now we are gradually losing our humanity – our empathy. Where is outrage for these girls? One hundred and ninety girls! Will they be kidnapped just like that?
“No word, no assurances. Nothing from the Presidency. The silence of the Presidency may be a result of hopelessness and helplessness on the missing young girls. But this is unacceptable. This is maddening. What other words describe the feelings of the Nigerian government’s silence on the missing girls?”
However, some Nigerians prayed for the girls on social media, others offered words of hope and encouragement to their parents, relatives and loved ones.
According to a businessman, Akabike Odera, since Nigerian soldiers are reportedly in search of the missing school girls, he is keeping his hopes alive.
Odera tweeted, “I’m sure they can find all our daughters. We are standing in solidarity for the pupils still missing. We all now declare and demand their rescue.
“However, if the Malaysian Government could brief the world daily on missing MH370 flight, why can’t the Federal Government brief us daily on the missing pupils?”
For a former Vice-President of the World Bank, Oby Ezekwesili, prayers could do wonders as the security agencies comb the forests for the girls.
“I pray that today’s (Wednesday’s) security meeting of our President and all governors with our security team marks a turning point in the counter-insurgency war. Hoping that the power of prayer will fuel effective action,” she added in a Twitter post.
Also, an Abuja-based Eloho Ogbeide in her tweets asked God to “have mercy” on the girls.
“I have a young daughter of my own. I have looked on in horror. It has been days! We pray for the girls and their families. And may God have mercy,” Ogbeide said.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar said the security challenges in the country provided an opportunity for Nigerians to protest against any persons or forces seeking to divide us.
Atiku tweeted, “We must show unconditional love for each other. Not as people from different tribes or places of birth; Christian or Muslim; but as members of a commonwealth of humanity. Let us unite, irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliation to solve our country’s problems.”
Copyright PUNCH.
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