I’m Sad My Sisters Are Still In Captivity – Rescued Chibok Girl Grace Dauda

Rescued Chibok girl Grace Dauda has said that she is sad that her sisters are still in captivity, The Nation reports.

The Bring Back Our Girls Movement, Lagos, Saturday, held its weekly sit-out at Falomo, Lagos, to commemorate the eight anniversary of the abduction of over 200 students of the Government College, Chibok, Borno State by the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

One of the liberated girls, Grace Dauda, was there to share her experience.

Looking pretty and well-kept, Dauda recalled her experience in the three years she spent in captivity saying: “Imagine yourself living in the forest, no freedom and fighter jets hovering around. No one would want that. Please we need these young women back. We can’t fold our hands and do nothing, thereby losing them forever.

“I want to tell the Nigerian government to help us out. I no longer hear anything about my sisters in captivity. Please don’t forget about these young women. They are suffering because I know what I went through when I was there. They deserve better.”

Tracing the history of the Chibok abduction, which has since gained global acclaim, with even the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement having branches across continents, Coordinator of Bring Back Our Girls (Lagos), Habiba Balogun, said “276 girls were abducted, 57 jumped out of the bus as they were being taken away; government negotiated the release of 82 and later another 21 girls. A few others also escaped or were liberated by the army, but there are still 109 Chibok girls in captivity, whose families are still crying, still begging God for them to be released.”

She however said that the movement and indeed Nigerians are tired of begging and we are now demanding that the government should bring back the girls now and alive.

She said all Nigerians are now a metaphor for Chibok girls, stressing that the series of abductions and attacks, including the recent Kaduna-Abuja train bombing and abduction more than underline this.

Balogun revealed what could be termed a piece of good news, when she said two more girls were recently liberated, culminating in celebrations in their families. She, however, that they are still being processed, which is why they have not released their names.

In an attempt to capture the trauma parents of the yet to be released girls are going through, Balogun said, “If your child is dead, she is dead, but for her to be missing, that is a nightmare. And to even know that your child is in the hands of people who are not kind, to know that your child is in a condition that nobody would pray to be in; in a forest, with no shelter, no clean water, no regular food, and subject to God knows what, is something you don’t want to imagine.”

Delivering a message titled, “Let everyone be restless until they are free,” Very Reverend Allotey Pappoe, urged united and concerted effort until the girls are back.

Reading from the book of Luke 22: 35-38, Rev Pappoe said “the people will remain restless until they are sure that everyone in captivity is back and there is no more of this criminality in our land.”

Member BBOG Ikoyi and renowned Human rights activist, Ayo Obe, said, “We have entered into the 9th year, having celebrated 8th years two days ago. The government did not have anything to say or deemed it fit to say anything on the 8th anniversary of the abduction, apparently because they had nothing to tell us. But government should say something even if they are embarrassed. They should face the embarrassment and tell the people what they are doing. The father of Leah Sharibu said he no longer hears anything from the government. Rather than keep quiet, they should speak up.”

Confirming Balogun’s claim that the group has been sitting out for the past eight years, Mrs Obe said she is disappointed that the government has not been able to bring back all the girls.

“I am disappointed, not only because we don’t have our children back but at the number of kidnap victims, particularly because those kidnapped from educational establishments have been on the increase. The impact on education has been devastating. I praise parents who still send their children to school in those areas. If government does not find a solution, the seed of assault that is being sewn on our educational establishment, we will reap the harvest and we will not find it funny.”

Asked if she is not tired sitting out for the same purpose all of eight years and still counting, Obe said, Ï am tired. But we are not giving up.”