NIGERIA: Nigerians in Abuja continue their daily sit-in protests demanding the return of hundreds of kidnapped school girls despite a police ban on the demonstrations

Record ID: 236790

  • Title: NIGERIA: Nigerians in Abuja continue their daily sit-in protests demanding the return of hundreds of kidnapped school girls despite a police ban on the demonstrations
  • Date: 5th June 2014
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (JUNE 5, 2014) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS SEATED AND CHANTING "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS NOW AND ALIVE" PROTESTERS CHANTING "UNTIL OUR GIRLS ARE BACK" PROTESTERS SEATED ON MATS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS LISTENING TO BRING BACK OUR GIRLS CAMPAIGN MEDIA COORDINATOR, BUKKY SHONIBARE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIBOK COMMUNITY ABUJA LEADER, TSEMBIDO HOSEA, SAYING: "Chibok community are very happy about the protest, everyday they used to call me and thank us about the protest. They say that they are one hundred percent behind us, only that there is no way that they can join us here personally, but they are with us." PROTESTERS CHANTING "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS NOW AND ALIVE" SHONIBARE LISTENING TO SPEAKERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SEATED AND LISTENING VARIOUS OF SHONIBARE ADDRESSING PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRING BACK OUR GIRLS CAMPAIGN MEDIA COORDINATOR, BUKKY SHONIBARE, SAYING: "We believe also that our gathering together is an avenue for us to pray and send declarations and well wishes to the people. So for me, I am extremely excited that nothing stopped us, we fought for our rights and we are back here, and we will continue to sit until our girls are back and alive." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SEATED AND LISTENING PROTESTERS CHANTING "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS NOW AND ALIVE"
  • Embargoed: 20th June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA471R6O58WXFWD659ASY46WF15
  • Story Text: Nigerian protesters in the city of Abuja on Thursday (June 5) continued a daily sit-in protest demanding the release of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist group Boko Haram, in the face of growing police pressure for the group to cease their demonstrations.
    Thursday's protest was the first since police on Monday (June 2) banned protests concerning the campaign to get the girls back, saying it could be hijacked by "dangerous elements" who could threaten state security.
    The protesters subsequently had gone to the Federal High Court in Nigeria's capital to file a motion against the ban.
    Abuja's Chibok community leader, Tsembido Hosea, said his people are in support of all protests.

    "Chibok community are very happy about the protest, everyday they used to call me and thank us about the protest," he told Reuters Television.

    "They say that they are one hundred percent behind us, only that there is no way that they can join us here personally, but they are with us," he said.
    About 20 mothers whose daughters are missing, and some girls who escaped from the militants are presently undergoing therapy session to help them with the trauma.
    The Media Coordinator for Bring Back Our Girls campaign, Bukky Shonibare, said the protests would continue unabated.

    "We believe also that our gathering together is an avenue for us to pray and send declarations and well wishes to the people," she said.

    "So for me, I am extremely excited that nothing stopped us, we fought for our rights and we are back here, and we will continue to sit until our girls are back and alive," she added.
    Suspected Islamist militants dressed as soldiers rounded up and killed at least 42 villagers in northeastern Nigeria, as an escalating insurgency increasingly targets civilians, a police source said.
    The shootings on the outskirts of the city of Maiduguri late on Wednesday (June 4) came a day after officials said raiders killed scores in three other settlements in Borno state, where Boko Haram insurgents first launched their campaign to carve out an Islamist caliphate.
    The mass abduction of the schoolgirls, and Boko Haram's fight-back against a military offensive, has increased political pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan who has faced regular street protests by activists criticising his response.
    Jonathan has accepted help from the United States and other foreign powers who are alarmed at the prospect of further turmoil in Africa's largest economy and oil producer, and its potential impact on a fragile region.
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