American music superstar, Chris Brown added his voice to those of Piers Morgan, Mary J. Blige, Russell Simmons, Keri Hilson, Taraji P. Henson, Common, Emeli Sande and others calling on the Nigerian government to find more than 200 female students of Government College, Chibok, Borno state, Northern Nigeria, who were kidnapped from their school’s dormitory April 14.
Unconfirmed reports said many of the girls had been married off to the kidnappers in neighboring countries and some had died of snake bites in the forest. This is the latest in the escalating security challenges that Nigeria is battling.
As a result of the inability of the security operatives and the government to make authoritative and categorical statements on the whereabouts of the children, agitations are rising. April 30, parents and others were forced to protest to the federal legislators sitting in Abuja.
Insecurity More Than a Political Issue
Will Ross, BBC’s correspondent in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, said “the demonstration was small – just a few hundred people – but emotions were running high.”
The protesters returned with more empty promises that are not backed with affirmative actions on what has been, is being or will be done to ensure the girls who were forced to miss their final exams get home safely – and not in body bags.
Insecurity is the major challenge of Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. This year alone, more than 1,500 people have died – not from malaria, HIV/AIDS or heroin overdose – but from the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group that started their onslaught in Maiduguri, Borno state to several parts of northern Nigeria.
It is therefore not surprising for many to note that the girls were taken from a school located in the city where the crisis first got everyone’s attention, suggesting the opening of a new chapter in terrorism in Nigeria.
A Social Media Uprising
Unlike the already familiar cases of killings: church and car bombings, successful and botched prison break attempts — the latest chapter is obviously the last. If the government cannot end it, it may end the government.
Today (May 1) for instance, a new trend surfaced on Twitter — #GEJResign — where citizens are asking the Nigerian president to either find the girls or resign.
The rising tension could however be lowered if the government — especially the president — says something truthful and useful to the perturbed parents. Citizens expect to know the whereabouts of the girls and want questions about the state of intelligence gathering in Nigeria answered.
Some years ago, Liberia’s former president, Charles Taylor was on exile in Nigeria, Calabar to be specific. But when the rest of the world asked Nigeria to hand him over for trial at The Hague, he went missing prompting the president of Nigeria at that time, Olusegun Obasanjo to issue a deadline for the security operatives to find Taylor. Lo and behold, they found him in what looked like the way the U.S. Navy Seals killed Osama Bin Laden.
That was just a man who could have been anywhere, especially in a very big country that has the world’s largest population of black people. If he could be found within a few days, why is it difficult for security officers for find over 200 girls?
Inside Intelligence
Ahmad Zanna, a federal senator from the region has also added a new twist to the story of the missing girls when he said the military is aware of the movements of the kidnappers and the girls.
“What bothered me the most is that whenever I informed the military where these girls were, after two to three days they were moved from that place to another. Still, I would go back and inform them on new developments,” Sen. Zanna told Persecond News.
Likewise in September 2011, when President Goodluck Jonathan spoke at the launch of the new national drivers license and vehicle number plates in Abuja, he announced that the government had uncovered strong leads to the terrorists and those behind them.
Jonathan said: “Let me use this occasion to reassure Nigerians and members of the international community that we now have strong leads as to those involved in this terror war on Nigeria and Nigerians. I have directed security operatives to go after them no matter where they may be hiding.
“Also, I am using this opportunity to warn that those who choose to hide under our new freedom to perpetuate evil against our people shall have no hiding place. This administration is fully determined and able to deal with all threats and agents of instability who continue to test the resolve of our nation and its democratic institutions and leadership.
“As President and Chief Security Officer of the nation, I will employ every means and instruments at my disposal to secure this nation against forces of evil which seek to divide and sabotage our country. There shall be no sacred cows in our efforts to expose, contain and defeat this network of terror. I have directed the review of our national security architecture to lay greater emphasis on intelligence and citizens’ participation in security surveillance.”
The popular consensus in Nigeria is that more words were being said without actions – what is known as we-are-on-top-of-the-situation phenomenon – which could be the reason why the president is not saying anything yet. To his credit though, he continues to make funds available to security operatives.
For the third consecutive year, security was allocated the largest chunk of the Nigerian budget with a total of about NGN1 trillion ($6.2 billion). The funds support recurrent and service-wide votes for the security sector which includes the Armed Forces, police, the National Security Adviser’s office, and the para-military services. With more funds available, it is still a mystery as to how 234 girls could be taken away in a city that is under emergency rule and has military officers all over the city.
The president has changed his security advisers and chiefs repeatedly, yet nothing has changed – insecurity remains cosmopolitan and state-owned media stations continue to tell citizens that the situation is under control and peace has returned to the affected areas. The government-owned national TV network, the NTA recently aired videos from an alleged faction of Boko Haram who claimed they were ready to dialogue with the government. With the turn of events, it seemed the faction has no influence on the group.
All eyes are on Nigeria as the whole world patiently awaits the fate of the girls of Government College Chibok, Borno state. The government too seems to be aware of the enormous and delicate nature of the issue at hand which is why the president’s usually vocal media spokespersons – Dr. Reuben Abati, Doyin Okupe and information minister, Labaran Maku are dead silent. They’ve realized that PR cannot get the government out of this — only the safe return of the girls can.
Coincidentally, Nigeria will be hosting world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Abuja next week. Even though the president is assuring the entire world that participants will be safe during the event, the global campaign for the freedom of the girls is louder than the president’s. The only thing that could save the day is a picture of the missing girls reuniting with their worried families.