Boko Haram: Women Group Vow To Embark Search For Abducted School Girls In Sambisa Forest

one of the students who escaped from Boko Haram [L]

A coalition of women’s rights in Borno yesterday expressed their readiness to mobilise thousands of women to embark on a voluntary search and rescue mission into the notorious Sambisa forest, to ensure the release of the abducted students.

The Borno women, under the auspices of BAOBAB Women’s Right, have said they were ready to storm the major hide out of the insurgents in Sambisa forest, where the abducted girls were believed to be held.

Spokesperson for the group, Professor Hauwa Biu, told newsmen that they resolved to embark on the rescue mission when it was evident that no reasonable progress was being achieved in the rescue efforts.

“We are ready to go into the forest and search for the girls. In fact, we are prepared to risk our lives and get up to Boko Haram camp and appeal to them to release the children to us so that they can reunite with their parents.

“There is nothing extraordinary in our quest to enter the dangerous forest. We learnt that some men in Chibok had earlier embarked on such mission, which later turned out to be fruitless.

“We felt that as mothers, we are in a better position to have the sympathy and concern over the fate of the missing girls.

“Our target is not to fight the abductors, but we want to beg them to release the girls in the name of the God that we all worship.”

The group also urged security forces to expedite action in their search and rescue mission of the students so that their parents can have rest of mind.

Biu described the abduction of the school girls as inhuman, abuse of human rights, capable of scuttling efforts for enhanced girl child education in the state and the country at large.

“The abduction of the innocent girls violates their human rights, and it is a crime against humanity and prohibited under international humanitarian law.

“Women in Borno strongly condemn this act in its totality as it deprives children their right to learn in a safe environment, thereby jeopardising their future.”

Biu also appealed to the insurgents to lay down their arms and hold dialogue with the government.

“We wish to appeal to the insurgents to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue. We assure them of our motherly support toward rehabilitating them when the need arises

“We condemn all other attacks in form of bomb blasts and serial killings all over the country and commiserate with the families of those who lost their relations during the unfortunate incidents.

“We commend the efforts of Borno and Federal governments as well as youths and vigilantes in addressing the current insurgency in the country.

“However, bearing in mind the continuous attacks on schools, we appeal for the provision of adequate security to all schools so as to have a safe learning environment for our children.”