Hundreds of parents of kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls have embarked on a peaceful march through Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
There are high emotions, as they mark 600 days since they were taken by Islamist sect, Boko Haram. Over 200 girls were kidnapped by the terrorists.
They are marching to the presidential villa where they want to meet President Muhammadu Buhari, who shocked them when he revealed recently that there was no credible intelligence to suggest where the girls were.
Some parents are so upset that they have sat down in middle of the road crying and wailing. A bus is going to come and take them to the venue.
As at press time, there is a stand-off at the entrance to the presidential villa, Abuja, as members of the Bring Back Our Girls group, campaigning for the release of school children abducted by Boko Haram in 2014, insist they be allowed to meet President Buhari.
Members of the group, alongside some parents of the missing school girls from Chibok, Borno State, thronged the entrance to the villa early Thursday.
But the group were instead met by a government team comprising the Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Al-Hassan, as well as the Minister of Defense, Monsur Dan-Ali, the National Security Adviser, Mohammed Monguno, and the Chief of Defense Staff, Abayomi Olonishakin.
The spokesperson of the BBOG and former education minister, Oby Ezekwesili, who spoke on behalf of the group, said they had earlier met with the president on July 8, and that they are at the Villa to discuss the promises he made to them.
Women affairs minister, Alhassan, told the group that because of the short notice given by the group, it was not possible to squeeze in the meeting with BBOG on Thursday.
She said the president was currently meeting with a visiting president of Benin Republic.
Follow Us