Chibok Girls: Falana Raises Concern Over FG’s Insensitivity

Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Femi Falana has decried the shilly-shally manner with which the federal government and security forces in the country had been handling the rescue operation of the over 200 school girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State by the Boko Haram sect.

He also condemned what he described as unguarded statements by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on his planned bid to negotiate with the terrorist group, saying his comments, especially the one in respect to the safety of the abducted school girls was inimical to psychology well being to the girls’ parents.

In a statement he issued yesterday, Falana accused the federal government of resorting to cheap blackmail,following the insistence by Information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku that the “Bring Back
Our Girls” rallies were being organised by the Opposition.

He recalled that a few days after Maku’s grandstanding, “some sponsored
thugs unleashed violence on the unarmed protesters at the Unity Fountain at Abuja, adding that “the team of police personnel at the venue neither stopped the unprovoked attack nor made any arrest.

“Since the violent attack did not deter the protesters the Police Commissioner of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Joseph Mbu announced that the “Bring Back Our Girls” rallies had been banned with “immediate effect.”

Noting that it was because the ban embarrassed the federal government that the Inspector-General of police proceeded to reverse it, Falana who expressed delight that the protesters continued their protests undeterred commend the organisers of the rallies and all members of the Abuja Coalition for their sacrifice and perseverance.

He said if not for the video released by the sect in which some of the abducted school girls were identified, the government would have continued relying on the denial techniques of some of its top official who insisted that no school girl was missing in Chibok.

“But for the identification of the abducted girls in the video footage released by the terrorists the official denial might have continued. It was at
that juncture that concerned women and men in Nigeria began the “Bring
Back Our Girls” Campaign through peaceful rallies. Many people have
joined the campaign in many parts of the world,” Falana stated.

Berating former President Obasanjo for making comments that have tended to dampen the hopes of the girls’ parents, the legal luminary said, “Unlike other individuals and groups who have been working quietly to secure the release of the abducted girls the former President, General Olusegun Obasanjo has been making some unguarded statements over his intention to reach out to the Boko Haram sect.

“Notwithstanding that the mental and psychological agony which the abduction caused the parents of the girls has led to the sudden death of two of them General Obasanjo said last week that some of the girls would not be reunited with their families while others might have become pregnant.

“From the information at my disposal such callous and insensitive statements have continued to dash the hopes and accentuate the agony of the parents and friends of the missing girls. No individual or group should play politics with the tragedy of the abduction!”

He said the peaceful rallies must continue to remind the Federal Government of its responsibility to rescue the abducted girls and guarantee the security of every person in the country as well as to challenge the leaders of the satanic sect to release the abducted girls, even as it will coninue to assure the parents of the abducted girls that we shall not cease to protest until the girls are brought back.

Falana added: “In thanking the “Bring Back Our Girls” Coalition in Lagos I urge you to examine the
abduction of the girls in the light of the kidnapping being experienced in other parts of the country. Unless the youths are educated and productively engaged kidnapping and terrorist attacks will not stop.

“Unless religion is separated from the State the ruling class will not stop the manipulation of religion to keep our people divided. There are muslim and christian fundamentalists. On both sides there are clerics who preach the gospel of hate and incitement. Such enemies of peace must be brought to book.”

(NAN)

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