Exactly 150 days ago today, 276 girls were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. Fifty seven of the girls have since escaped from their abductors, while 219 of them, between the ages of 15 and 19, remain in the captivity of the terrorists somewhere in the Sambisa Forest.
The federal government has announced repeatedly that efforts to rescue the girls are on course and that they would be brought back home soon. Nigerians have also been told several times that the whereabouts of the girls are known, but the government is wary of using military force to avoid fatalities. As to when they would be rescued, Nigerians, and indeed, the Chibok community, are left to speculation, since options appear unclear. Mr Steve Davis, an Australian negotiator believed to have been engaged by the federal government, was in the news recently, making grave allegations about some abortive attempts to rescue the girls.
In the meantime, stories abound about how mutiny within the army's rank and file, hitherto unheard of, is now a common occurrence. Our military has had to "tactically" retreat into smaller countries, to save their own lives. Wives of Nigerian soldiers, so petrified that their husband's may be going on a journey of no return, have dared to block their departure to the battlefield, demanding for better equipment and resources as assurance that they would be secure in the effort to defend the nation. Nigerians continue to hear of flags being hoisted in towns and villages of Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents claiming victory. Communities abandon their homes to sleep in the bushes, to avoid being slaughtered by the terrorists. The camps of internally displaced people are growing at an alarming rate, with women and children being the greatest casualties.
With such dismal news about the military's battle readiness, compounded with the complete absence of news or even a sign of military operations around their community, it is then no wonder that the families of the Chibok girls are losing hope in the oft-repeated promises of the federal government to rescue their daughters. Last week, the Chibok community announced that they would prefer that the federal government attack the insurgents forcefully, if necessary. The parents told the world they would rather the bodies of their daughters be brought home, than continue to exist in such unbearable suspense. To fulfill cultural rites, funeral obsequies have been held for the girls in absentia, if only to bring closure to the families and to a grieving, helpless and hopeless community. The promise of the constitution, that the welfare of Nigerians shall be the primary purpose of government, only rings hollow. Our government is failing them, and by extension, all of us.
However, giving up on rescuing the girls cannot be an option for any self-respecting society. The federal government must step up its game by prioritising the rescue effort. The authorities must deploy all necessary resources, equipment, intelligence and men into the forest and beyond, whatever it takes. Security men must redouble their efforts, as each day that passes is one day too many. Nigerians desperately need the assurance that our government has the capacity to defend our territory. Foreign governments that pledged to support the rescue effort should be reminded to live up to their promises. Nigerian citizens must continue to pressure government and its agencies to ensure the rescue of the girls. And in a vibrant country such as ours, the media must keep the Chibok girls on the front burner of public discourse. We cannot afford to give up on the abducted girls. They have been away for such a long time. But it is never too late to bring the Chibok girls back home.
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