NIGERIA: Nigerians gather in capital Abuja to protest against the abduction last month of more than 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants

Record ID: 236737

  • Title: NIGERIA: Nigerians gather in capital Abuja to protest against the abduction last month of more than 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants
  • Date: 17th May 2014
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (MAY 17, 2014) (REUTERS ) WOMEN MEETING NIGERIA'S FORMER EDUCATION MINISTER, OBIAGELI EZEKWESILI, ADDRESSING OTHER WOMEN BANNER READING (English): "RESCUE OUR CHIBOK GIRLS" VARIOUS OF WOMEN LISTENING VARIOUS OF CHIBOK NATIVE, PETER ILIYA, ADDRESSING PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIBOK NATIVE, PETER ILIYA, SAYING: "When you take away a boy, it's a different thing, when you take away woman you have taken away a whole family, when you take over 200 girls away, you have taken almost an entire country, an entire people, an entire nation, so it is really, they are bearing it and nothing they can do. But they are very very frustrated, very dejected, very very very bewildered." MEN SETTING UP A BANNER READING (English): "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" VARIOUS OF WOMAN CRYING VARIOUS OF PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (English) COORDINATOR, "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" CAMPAIGN, BALA USMAN, SAYING: "Our next steps are we are planning to take the protest match to Mr President, we are going to the Aso villa on Thursday, we have written him a letter informing him that we wish to see him, we are requesting for an audience, we have not yet gotten confirmation but even without confirmation we intend to match to the president on Thursday to ask him questions as citizens to demand to know what is Nigerian government doing towards the rescue operations of our girls." MURAL DEPICTING NIGERIAN FLAG WITH INSCRIPTION READING (English): "ONE NATION '' VARIOUS OF CARS DRIVING PAST MURAL
  • Embargoed: 1st June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2OPOEZYLVA7DHUEITPS7GDTKD
  • Story Text: Nigerians gathered in Abuja on Saturday (May 17) to protest against the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped last month in the northeastern part of the country by Boko Haram militants.
    One month after the girls were kidnapped, protesters continue to demand for the government to intensify its rescue efforts for the liberation of the girls.
    Dozens of protesters converged at a popular intersection for a sit-in protest in the city.
    Protesters expressed their frustration about a lack of information on the rescue operation.
    "When you take away a boy, it's a different thing, when you take away woman you have taken away a whole family, when you take over two hundred girls away, you have taken almost an entire country, an entire people, an entire nation, so it is really, they are bearing it and nothing they can do. But they are very very frustrated, very dejected, very very very bewildered," said Peter Iliya, a native of Chibok town, where the girls were abducted.
    The coordinator of "Bring back our girls" campaign said they will march to President Goodluck Jonathan's residence to demand an update.
    "We intend to match to the president on Thursday to ask him questions as citizens to demand to know what the government is doing towards the rescue operations of our girls," said Bala Usman.
    Outrage over the kidnapping of the schoolgirls has prompted Jonathan, criticized at home for his government's slow response, to accept U.S., British and French intelligence help in the hunt for the girls.
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