NIGERIA: Protesters calling for the release of the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls hold a sit-in in Abuja calling upon the government to take effective action towards their rescue

Record ID: 236732

  • Title: NIGERIA: Protesters calling for the release of the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls hold a sit-in in Abuja calling upon the government to take effective action towards their rescue
  • Date: 16th May 2014
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (MAY 16, 2014) (REUTERS) PROTEST GROUND / PEOPLE SETTING UP CHAIRS FOR SIT-IN PROTEST OFFICIALS ARRANGING SEATS PROTESTERS PRAYING PROTESTERS SEATED VARIOUS OF PROTESTER COVERING HER HEAD WITH AN UMBRELLA (SOUNDBITE) (English) CO-ORDINATOR OF "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" CAMPAIGN, HADIZA BALA USMAN, SAYING: "As we have done before, we have visited several institutions of government, we have gone to NSA's (National Security Adviser) office, we've gone to the chief of Defence staff, we have visited the Borno State governor and so doing, we are taking the same steps and we are visiting the office of the President. We have sent a letter to the office notifying them of our upcoming visit and we await confirmation of an exact time. Failing any confirmation of the time, we would march to the office of the president on Tuesday at 3pm." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS TAKING PART IN SIT-IN PROTESTERS SEATED UNDER BANNER, READING: "RESCUE OUR CHIBOK GIRLS" (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEDIA CO-ORDINATOR FOR "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" CAMPAIGN, ROTIMI OLAWALE, SAYING: "We are hoping that within the next one week, we will make a trip to Chibok, we have not announced the date that we are going now, we are also very careful to make such announcements because of security concern. We are exploring all the necessary means for us to visit Chibok, we are going to inform the authority of our visit to Chibok in order that they know of our impending visit." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN SIT-IN (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEDIA CO-ORDINATOR FOR "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" CAMPAIGN, ROTIMI OLAWALE, SAYING: "I had thought that when we requested from the group the number of people who will be going to Chibok, I had thought that a number of people will be afraid to commit to go to Chibok, we got over 75 people who indicated willingness to go on a visit to Chibok, to relate with the people of Chibok and to have an underground assessment of what is happening and in what ways we can better support them and to show them that Nigerians really care about what they are doing and the situation they found themselves in." PROTESTERS CHANTING "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS NOW AND ALIVE" VARIOUS OF INSCRIPTION ON VEHICLE READING (English): "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS NOW AND SAFE" VEHICLE WITH INSCRIPTION READING (English): "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS NOW AND SAFE" PARKED WITH PROTESTERS SEEN IN BACKGROUND
  • Embargoed: 31st May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Crime,Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABL7GXYLISGRHA82HGFTUIOR5S
  • Story Text: Protesters demanding the release of the more than 200 abducted Nigerian schoolgirls held a sit-in in Abuja on Friday (May 16) to demand more vigilant government action towards the rescue of the girls.
    Despite the drop in numbers of those turning out daily to participate in the protests, organisers of Friday's sit-in said they will march to President Goodluck Jonathan's office if no breakthrough was made by the weekend.
    The co-ordinator of "Bring Back Our Girls" campaign, Hadiza Bala Usman, told Reuters the movement planned to visit the president's office next Tuesday (May 20).
    "We have visited several institutions of government, we have gone to NSA's (National Security Adviser) office, we've gone to the chief of Defence staff, we have visited the Borno State governor and so doing, we are taking the same steps and we are visiting the office of the President," she said.
    Rebels stormed a school in the northeastern village of Chibok a month ago and seized 276 girls who were taking exams.
    Some have escaped, but about 200 remain missing.
    On Monday (May 12), Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau released a video that showed some of the girls in captivity and offered to swap them for Boko Haram prisoners.
    The abductions have triggered protests across the country and a social media campaign under the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.
    The United States, Britain, France and Israel have offered help or sent experts to Nigeria to assist in the effort.
    Meanwhile, the media co-ordinator for the campaign, Rotimi Olawale, said arrangements are being made for a possible visit to Chibok.
    "We are hoping that within the next one week, we will make a trip to Chibok, we have not announced the date that we are going now, we are also very careful to make such announcements because of security concern. We are exploring all the necessary means for us to visit Chibok, we are going to inform the authority of our visit to Chibok in order that they know of our impending visit," he said.
    Rotimi also said he was surprised at the number of people who have indicated their interest to travel to the city in spite of the fragile security situation.
    "I had thought that a number of people will be afraid to commit to go to Chibok, we got over 75 people who indicated willingness to go on a visit to Chibok, to relate with the people of Chibok and to have an underground assessment of what is happening and in what ways we can better support them and to show them that Nigerians really care about what they are doing and the situation they found themselves in," he said.
    President Jonathan had intended to fly to Borno state capital Maiduguri on Friday (May 16) and head on to Chibok, the village the rebels stormed on April 14.
    But security concerns thwarted his plan after the killing on Tuesday (May 13) of at least four soldiers in a rebel ambush near Chibok.
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