NIGERIA: As Nigeria marks Democracy Day protesters who have been staging a sit-in in Abuja to demand the release of kidnapped girls hold a meeting

Record ID: 236770

  • Title: NIGERIA: As Nigeria marks Democracy Day protesters who have been staging a sit-in in Abuja to demand the release of kidnapped girls hold a meeting
  • Date: 30th May 2014
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (MAY 29, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SEATED AND LISTENING BACK OF SHIRT READING (English): "NOW AND ALIVE!!!" VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SEATED AT CONFERENCE BANNERS DISPLAYING NAMES OF SOME MISSING SCHOOLGIRLS (SOUNDBITE) (English) GUEST SPEAKER AT SYMPOSIUM, YADUDU AWWAL, SAYING: ''I would say that the government is not doing enough but of course if what they said today is an effort, I hope it would bear fruits and that it would help do exactly what we want them to do to bring back the girls as quickly as possible and alive.'' VARIOUS OF PEOPLE REGISTERING AND COLLECTING "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" T-SHIRTS PEOPLE SEATED BANNER ON A WALL READING: "BRING BACK OUR CHIBOK GIRLS" PEOPLE SITTING DOWN (SOUNDBITE) (English) COORDINATOR, ANTI CORRUPTION NETWORK, DINO MELAYE, SAYING: "For the president, 40 something days after the abduction, to now pass a comment that they are now serious and he has given total powers to the military to come after the abductors is very laughable, it is a shame. We have resorted to celestial means of bringing these girls back and that is why we are here, that is why we are praying and that is why we are doing what we are doing." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SEATED AT SYMPOSIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) COORDINATOR, BRING BACK OUR GIRLS CAMPAIGN, HADIZA BALA, SAYING: "We cannot allow our fundamental human rights to be abused, we note that they refused to do anything they allowed, for women, it's important to note that these women that have come together and the Nigerian police force is watching as hooligans that have been paid to come and attack them, breaking over 70 chairs, stealing people's phones, snatching our handbags, breaking cameras of persons and the media within our sitting. So this is something that we will not take lightly. We are going to take on the Inspector General of Police on this. We are going to take on the Commissioner of Police on this." PEOPLE SEATED AT SYMPOSIUM VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ARRIVING AT THE VENUE OF SYMPOSIUM
  • Embargoed: 14th June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2IYJW7OBXHENDTDRR5REOW1W5
  • Story Text: Protesters in Nigeria's capital city Abuja left the streets where they have been holding a sit-in and held a conference on Thursday (May 29).
    The event was organised to give an update on developments since they launched their daily protests to demand the release of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamist militants.
    President Goodluck Jonathan in a televised address to mark the country's return to democracy on Thursday (May 29) said he has ordered a full scale operation against the militants.
    Yadudu Awwal, a guest speaker at the event, was hopeful the president's promise will bear results.
    ''I would say that the government is not doing enough but of course if what they said today is an effort, I hope it would bear fruits and that it would help do exactly what we want them to do to bring back the girls as quickly as possible and alive," Yadudu said.
    Nigeria's military on Monday (May 26) said it knows where the schoolgirls are but ruled out using force to rescue them.
    Dino Melaye, coordinator for Anti-Corruption Network, condemned the slow pace of action.
    "For the president, 40 something days after the abduction, to now pass a comment that they are now serious and he has given total powers to the military to come after the abductors is very laughable, it is a shame," Melaye said.
    One campaigner accused the police of attacking the protesters on Wednesday.
    "The Nigerian police force is watching as hooligans that have been paid to come and attack them, breaking over 70 chairs, stealing peoples phones, snatching our handbags, breaking cameras of persons and the media within our sitting, so this is something that we will not take likely, we are going to take on the Inspector General of Police on this. We are going to take on the Commissioner of Police on this," Hadiza Bala said.
    The group still plans to carry on with the protests on Friday despite the attack.
    Boko Haram has been fighting to establish an Islamic state in a religiously mixed Nigeria.
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