#BringBackOurGirls
It’s impossible to talk about the year of our Lord Two thousand and fourteen without talking about one of the most tragic incidents in our nation’s history.
On the night of April 14, 2014, 276 female students were abducted from Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok, Borno State. The terrorist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The reaction of the Federal Government was its usual “Stick your head in the sand and pretend it isn’t happening approach” and the official responses ranged from claiming it was a hoax to accusing the opposition of trying to make the government look bad.
For twenty days, the Federal government maintained a wicked silence on the issue of the lives of 276 school girls and it was at this point that social media stepped with arguably one of the most effective hashtags of the year “BringBackOurGirls”
Creating awareness on social media as well as international concern for the situation of the girls, the Nigerian government was finally forced to acknowledge that the girls were truly missing. Much credit must go to the indefatigable Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili for campaigning vigorously and providing the kind of credibility the campaign needed.
Comic relief was provided by the First Lady in the embarrassing “There is God o!” episode on national television.
As of today, 219 girls are still missing with the group Boko Haram claiming that the girls have been sold.
As we inch towards 2015, we resolutely demand, #BringBackOurGirls
I feel bad whenever I remember those girls. I feel worst when I remember they couldn’t be rescued.
Very Bad story