NIGERIA: A father gives a personal account of his missing daughter as residents in Abuja continue to demonstrate for the rescue of the schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militants last month

Record ID: 236687

  • Title: NIGERIA: A father gives a personal account of his missing daughter as residents in Abuja continue to demonstrate for the rescue of the schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militants last month
  • Date: 9th May 2014
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) FATHER TO ONE OF THE ABDUCTED GIRLS WHO DOES NOT WISH TO BE NAMED, SAYING: "In fact you have encouraged me, I left Chibok to Abuja simply because of - we miss our beloved daughters. I just don't don't know how I will explain my grief but really as I see the gathering, that you people left your offices, you left your businesses, you come to sympathise with us, I'm so much grateful. I want to inform the whole world this case is not a religious matter." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS DISTRIBUTING LEAFLETS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FATHER TO ONE OF THE ABDUCTED GIRLS WHO DOES NOT WISH TO BE NAMED, SAYING: "I'm very sad as a father, my daughter, my obedient daughter who is struggling. Her aim is to become a doctor, all the time she is trying and very obedient girl all the time, so religious. I feel it, very bad, very painful, even my wife when we learnt that our daughters was kidnapped she felt sick - even now that's why I don't want her to stand for a longer time or to discus because she is now with the blood pressure." WOMAN USING A MEGAPHONE TO CALL OUT NAMES OF ABDUCTED GIRLS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FATHER TO ONE OF THE ABDUCTED GIRLS WHO DOES NOT WISH TO BE NAMED, SAYING: "Really, if United States come into this country to rescue our children - I have little hope but until I see it but I have little hope. If they come in if really, if the Nigerian government will allow them to work faithfully, they will rescue our daughters." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) HUMAN RESOURCE CONSULTANT, BUKKY SHONIBAYO, SAYING: "So one thing that keeps motivating us is the fact that one we are Nigerians by this meeting all of us have become a Chibok family. Everybody is now from Chibok as far as we are concerned, there is a mother here, there is a father here, there is a sister, brother, uncle, aunt and we all are coming together to say until these girls return back the reason for which we came together 10 days ago has not been achieved and until that is done, until that is achieved we will keep meeting." WIDE OF PROTEST GROUND / CARS ON THE ROAD VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SEATED VARIOUS OF CARS WITH STICKER READING (English): "BRING BACK OUR 'CHIBOK' GIRLS"
  • Embargoed: 24th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Reuters ID: LVA5R2C2RS0YBXGM5ECKF52LB0M1
  • Story Text: Residents in Abuja continued to demonstrate on Friday (May 9) for the rescue of the schoolgirls abducted by Islamist group, Boko Haram, last month.
    Militants stormed a secondary school in the village of Chibok, near the Cameroon border, on April 14, and kidnapped the girls, who were taking exams at the time.
    Fifty have since escaped, but more than 200 remain with the insurgents.
    The Nigerian government's slow response to the crisis has stirred global outrage and led to protests in Abuja and Lagos as well as other cities around the world.
    A father of one of the abducted girls addressed the Abuja protest on Friday and spoke of his family's experience since his daughter was kidnapped last month. He said he has been touched by the support being given to his family by the protest group.
    "You have encouraged me, I left Chibok to Abuja simply because of - we miss our beloved daughters. I just don't don't know how I will explain my grief but really as I see the gathering, that you people left your offices, you left your businesses, you come to sympathise with us, I'm so much grateful. I want to inform the whole world this case is not a religious matter," said the father who did not wish to be named.
    He continued to talk about and describe his missing daughter.
    "My daughter, my obedient daughter who is struggling, her aim is to become a doctor all the time she is trying and very obedient girl all the time, so religious," he said.
    U.S. military, law-enforcement and development experts, including some skilled in hostage negotiations, started arriving in Nigeria on Thursday (May 8) to help search for the missing girls and tackle the rising threat from Boko Haram.
    British experts arrived in Nigeria on Friday (May 9) to advise the government on the search.
    France, and China have also offered help.
    The father said he hopes that with the support the United States is providing, his daughter will be rescued and brought back home.
    "...if the Nigerian government will allow them to work faithfully, they will rescue our daughters."
    Human resource consultant, Bukky Shonibayo said protesters and families of the missing girls have united in the crisis.
    "So one thing that keeps motivating us is the fact that one we are Nigerians by this meeting all of us have become a Chibok family. Everybody is now from Chibok as far as we are concerned, there is a mother here, there is a father here, there is a sister, brother, uncle, aunt and we all are coming together to say until these girls return back the reason for which we came together 10 days ago has not been achieved and until that is done, until that is achieved we will keep meeting," said Shonibayo.
    The U.N. Security Council on Friday expressed outrage at the abduction of the Nigerian schoolgirls, demanding their immediate release and threatening to take action against the insurgents.
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