NIGERIA: Relatives of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants are still in shock, but remain hopeful of their release

Record ID: 236744

  • Title: NIGERIA: Relatives of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants are still in shock, but remain hopeful of their release
  • Date: 20th May 2014
  • Summary: BORNO, NIGERIA ( MAY 17, 2014) (REUTERS) TRUCK ON FIRE ALONG MAIDUGURI-CHIBOK- DAMBOA ROAD VARIOUS OF CIVILIAN JOINT SECURITY TASK FORCE AT STOP-AND-SEARCH CHECK POINT ON CHIBOK ROAD VARIOUS OF CHIBOK VILLAGE/ROAD LEADING TO GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL, CHIBOK VARIOUS OF DESTROYED SCHOOL BUILDING/WRECKAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Hausa) STUDENT, LYDIA POWU, SAYING: "They asked us about the school block-making machine. We said we didn't know. They said if we don't tell them, they will kill us, then they asked us for the school's food store. We told them where it was. They took two girls who took them to the store. After they broke into the store, they took bags of foods. Then they asked if we had matches. We said we did not have any, so they sent some of their men to town who later came back with matches and a truck. They set the store and the buildings on fire. At that point, they were shouting and dancing and filming us." VARIOUS OF ESTHER YAKUB AND FAMILY HOLDING PICTURE OF MISSING DORCAS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ABDUCTED GIRL'S MOTHER, ESTHER YAKUB, SAYING: "The worst part of it is that I thought that the soldiers were in the bush, unfortunately they are not in the bush; after seeing on TV the video of the girls, they took some people and some girls went to Maiduguri to identify our girls in the video so we thought that by now our girls would have been recovered, unfortunately, nothing." VARIOUS OF HAPPY YAKUB PREPARING MEAL IN THE KITCHEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) ABDUCTED GIRL'S SISTER, HAPPY YAKUB, SAYING: "I miss my sister because she used to make my hair and we played together, I have not been going to school because the schools are closed. I will not go to school again until my sister comes back." VARIOUS OF BIOLOGY TEACHER IN GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL, CHIBOK, WALKING OUT (SOUNDBITE) (English) BIOLOGY TEACHER, GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL, CHIBOK, BARKA MADU SAYING: "There were no security measures taken for the students at night, only I used to see policemen during the exams period and after the exams they leave and come back the next day." VARIOUS OF CHIBOK MARKET SCHOOL'S CHAIRMAN OF THE PARENTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, DOMUNA MPHUR, EATING IN A GROUP 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SCHOOL'S CHAIRMAN OF THE PARENTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, DOMUNA MPHUR, SAYING: "We handed over our children to the government for education, so government should give us back our daughters peacefully since the school has been burnt down, and no education." VARIOUS OF CHIBOK LOCAL GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOL AND OTHER SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING SCHOOL GATE LOCKED WITH A PADLOCK
  • Embargoed: 4th June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9YU61SX5GXF0XVAQPKW501DD5
  • Story Text: A sense of despair hangs over the north-eastern Nigerian village of Chibok, where hundreds of schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram militants last month.
    A civilian security team mans a checkpoint near the village, stopping and checking cars.
    Fear prevails more than a month after the Islamist militants stormed a secondary school and snatched the girls.
    One student described the events of the day that have made headlines around the world.

    "They asked us about the school block-making machine. We said we didn't know. They said if we don't tell them, they will kill us, then they asked us for the school's food store. We told them where it was. They took two girls who took them to the store. After they broke into the store, they took bags of foods," Lydia Powu said.

    "Then they asked if we had matches. We said we did not have any, so they sent some of their men to town who later came back with matches and a truck. They set the store and the buildings on fire. At that point, they were shouting and dancing and filming us."
    Meanwhile, relatives cling on to hope that the girls, some of whom were identified in a video released by the militants, will be rescued soon.

    "The worst part of it is that I thought that the soldiers were in the bush, unfortunately they are not in the bush; after seeing on TV the video of the girls, they took some people and some girls went to (local state capital) Maiduguri to identify our girls in the video so we thought that by now our girls would have been recovered, unfortunately, nothing," said Esther Yakub, whose daughter is among the missing.
    Esther's other daughter, Happy, has not been to school since her sister was abducted.

    "I miss my sister because she used to make my hair and we played together, I have not been going to school because the schools are closed. I will not go to school again until my sister comes back," Happy said.
    One teacher described the security measures on the day.

    "There were no security measures taken for the students at night, only I used to see policemen during the exams period and after the exams they leave and come back the next day," said Barka Madu.
    The school's Parents Teachers Association head Domu Mphur called on the government to help secure the release of the girls.
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