Kenyans push for release of kidnapped Nigerian girls

Activists from various civil rights groups march from Nairobi’s Uhuru Park to the Nigerian Embassy in Nairobi yesterday. They demanded the release of girls abducted in Nigeria over four weeks ago by Boko Haram insurgents.  [Photo: Collins Kweyu/Standard]

By Immaculate Akello and Josphat Thiong’o

Nairobi, Kenya: Civil society organisations Thursday staged a demonstration in Nairobi to condemn the abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria.

The demonstration was organised by Africa unite (FEMNET), Nigerian Students Association,  Gender Violence Recovery Centre, Equality Now, Men for Gender Equality and AKILI DADA. They criticised the Nigerian Government and Africa for the sluggish response to the abduction of more than 300 girls by Boko Haram a month ago. The campaign dubbed ‘Bring back our girls’ was happening simultaneously in 21 other African nations.

“It is unacceptable that the highest office in Nigeria took more than two weeks to respond to these tragedies,” said Kerubo Abuya, a member of FEMNET.

The group marched from Uhuru Park to the Nigerian High Commission mobilising the public to show solidarity with the abducted girls and present a petition to the ambassador.

Speaking outside the Nigerian high commissioner’s office, the organisations called for the Nigerian Government to take immediate action to locate and rescue the girls and prosecute those behind the kidnappings. They said the Government should strive to rebuild schools and reaffirm the girls’ right to security and education to restore their dignity.

The organisations called for the urgent action and support of the governments of Cameroon, Chad and Niger to swiftly determine whether the girls were transported into their countries and assist in their rescue.

“Let political negotiations be done politically. Women and children should not be used as weapons of war or bait for negotiations,” said Kennedy Otina, the director of Africa Unite.

Duncan Obelle, a minister at the Nigerian High Commission, assured them the message would reach his government, saying religious balance is what led to escalation of the matter. 

“Nigeria has a 50-50 religious balance of Christians and Muslims. The Government has not ruled out options for negotiations with the Islamist militants,” said Obelle.