- Title: NIGERIA: Christians and Muslims pray for release of abducted Nigerian schoolgirls
- Date: 27th May 2014
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (MAY 27, 2014) (REUTERS) CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS SEATED IN STADIUM CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM LEADERS CONDUCTING THE PRAYERS VARIOUS OF WOMEN PRAYING T-SHIRT WITH WORDS (English): "RESCUE OUR CHIBOK GIRLS" (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF MISSIONAL, LAGOS CENTRAL MOSQUE, IMAM ITABA GIWA, SAYING: "They said they have seen them. I know they cannot go there with force, according to them, because we want these children alive. So they have to approach it either by dialogue - they know what to do. It's a good thing that they have seen them, they have located where they are. So back-coming alive is very near, that is a good announcement from them." VARIOUS OF WOMEN CRYING/PRAYING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CONSULTANT, YEMISI RANSOME-KUTI, SAYING: "It's difficult to imagine that they will know where they are and they cannot do anything about it. The news that shocked me was that the militants were negotiating for 100 prisoners, for 50 girls. I mean, what kind of negotiation is that? That's a non-starter. You don't negotiate on those terms and then pull out at the end. At the beginning of negotiation, you have, you, the person negotiating must have the upper hand, the best that you want out of the negotiation. Not only should you be negotiating for the girls, you should also be negotiating for the end of terrorism. So that if the only thing you get out of it is the girls, you would have achieved at least a substantial part of why you negotiated at this particular point in time." VARIOUS OF WOMEN CARRYING PLACARD READING (English): "COLLECTION OF SIGNATURES: #BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" AUDIENCE HOLDING UP BANNERS, SINGING
- Embargoed: 11th June 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Crime,Conflict,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVABB0LXTCLVJ91WRHKNLJHBP0OB
- Story Text: Christians and Muslims gathered at a stadium in Lagos on Tuesday (May 27) to pray for the safe return of over 200 schoolgirls, kidnapped by Boko Haram last month.
The prayers were organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition party to the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).
The two parties have blamed each other for the hostage crisis.
The prayers took place a day after Nigeria's military said it knew where the girls were being held but ruled out using force to rescue them.
At the prayer meeting, Imam Itaba Giwa said the military's announcement was a positive sign.
"They said they have seen them. I know they cannot go there with force, according to them, because we want these children alive. So they have to approach it either by dialogue - they know what to do. It's a good thing that they have seen them, they have located where they are. So back-coming alive is very near, that is a good announcement from them," he said.
Britain's BBC reported on Monday that a deal was close to being agreed to rescue the girls in exchange for Boko Haram prisoners - a demand the group had made public - but that it was called off at the last minute.
One woman at the prayer meeting said the negotiations should not work to the benefit of the Islamists.
"It's difficult to imagine that they will know where they are and they cannot do anything about it. The news that shocked me was that the militants were negotiating for 100 prisoners, for 50 girls. I mean, what kind of negotiation is that? That's a non-starter. You don't negotiate on those terms and then pull out at the end. At the beginning of negotiation, you have, you, the person negotiating must have the upper hand, the best that you want out of the negotiation. Not only should you be negotiating for the girls, you should also be negotiating for the end of terrorism. So that if the only thing you get out of it is the girls, you would have achieved at least a substantial part of why you negotiated at this particular point in time," said Yemisi Ransome-Kuti.
Over the weekend, Senate President David Mark, the country's number three, ruled out a deal with Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is a sin" in the northern Hausa language.
Most officials think any raid to rescue the girls would be fraught with danger and probably not worth the risk that they would be killed by their captors - an Islamist group that has shown a high degree of ruthlessness in killing civilians. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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