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LAGOS—COMMEERCIAL activities in the central business district of Lagos, were yesterday crippled as hundreds of protesting women, men and religious faithful from different organisations stormed the seat of government demanding immediate rescue of the abducted female students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgents.
The protesters in their separate groups marched to the State House, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja to register their grievances and delivered their protest letters to Governor Babatunde Fashola for onward delivery to President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.
The groups were: Women Arise Initiative, led Dr. Joe Okei Odumakin; Association of Christian
Leaders of Ikeja, led by Pastor Wole Oladiyun and Victorious Army Ministries’ Pastor Blessing Agboli, among others.Displaying various placards, they chanted songs and prayed for God’s intervention to fast-track the immediate release of the girls.
Some of the placards reads: “NLC Women Committee says bring back our girls,” “NLC Women Committee says Enough of Boko Haram,” “NLC Women Committee says Federal Government must act now on Boko Haram,” “NLC Women Committee says our girls must return back to us safe and alive,” “NLC Women Committee says Federal Government must stop this insurgency,” “We say no to terrorism in Nigeria,” “Boko Haram, release the innocent school girls, mothers are crying,” “Boko Haram, stop terrorism,” among others.
First among the groups was the ‘Women Arise Initiative’ who wore white T-shirt, with the inscription, “Women Arise Against Terror.”
Afrobeat music maestro, Femi Anikulapo Kuti while addressing the protesters, said that there was the need to put pressure on the Federal Government to get the girls released, saying it was sad that it took government about three weeks to come to term that 234 girls had been kidnapped.
Speaking on behalf of the Nollywood actors and actresses, Jide Kosoko, lamented that it was sad that 234 girls had been kidnapped in the country with the government not doing anything to rescue them, while appealing to Boko Haram to get the children released.
Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, while reacting to the new video released by Boko Haram, said “We will never support an exchange. I will not support this. All we want is the rescue of the girls.”
Also speaking, Pastor Agboli said it was high time the Federal Government and relevant agencies in country intensified efforts to rescue the kidnapped girls.
In their letter to the president, Odumakin said; “It is equally horrifying that this wickedness was carried out for hours without interruption by security forces. ”
Responding, Fashola assured the protesters saying “I will pass this letter to the President Jonathan today. I am also sure that somehow, through the electronic platform of the media, the president will also see and hear your cry.”
He described the abduction of the girls as a dark experience in the life of Nigeria.
source Vanguard newspapers