Nearly a decade after the abduction of 276 female students at Government Secondary School in Chibok, a local government area in Borno State, families of the remaining 87 captives have remained hopeful they will regain freedom and return to the community.
This was disclosed by spokesperson of the affected community, Allen Manasseh, while paying tribute during the 70th birthday of Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili, husband of former Education Minister, Oby at a virtual programme monitored on Wednesday by our correspondent.
The development comes 10 years after 276 students of Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, were kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14, 2014.
However, 57 of the schoolgirls managed to escape, mostly by jumping off the moving trucks and fleeing to the bushes.
The abduction sparked outrage from both local and international media with political leaders and activists putting pressure on former President Goodluck Jonathan to rescue the girls while offering intelligence and support.
The pressure continued long after Jonathan’s administration.
While giving an update on the matter, Manasseh disclosed that nothing has been heard of the remaining 87 schoolgirls.
He said, “I came across them (The Ezekwesilis) at the thick of the abduction of the Chibok girls. I am sure by mentioning Chibok girls, many of you here understand the sacrifices of this wonderful family to our community. If not for them, the name Chibok would not make it to the level where people would accept that we lost over 276 Chibok girls at some point. This family has sacrificed their comfort and endured all kinds of ridicule because they stood with us.
“At some points, all our hopes were gone. Sometimes we didn’t even know what to say or do. But Pastor ‘Nedu Ezekwesili would look at us and wait till we have exhausted all our frustration before addressing us in such a way that we felt the hopes getting renewed in us to look up to God again. That was the hope that got us believing again that one day these girls (Chibok) would be brought back.
“Today, I’m happy to say because of the sacrifices of this family and many others out there, we have recovered over 132 of these Chibok girls. We are still expecting 87 of them to come back. Because any one of you that have been monitoring what is happening in Abuja will know that sometimes we say some things, the next thing we are packed and locked up somewhere. But these people stood by us. When we talk about lawyers, they have those that have stood with us. They have also used all the available resources from their family to keep fighting for us over the period of 10 years.”
Political activist and one of the promoters of the 2020 #EndSARS campaign, Rinu Oduala, also eulogised the celebrant and his wife, who she described as selfless individuals.
“Although I have not met him in person, but I’ve been privileged to know him through Mummy Ezekwesili. I want to thank you on her behalf for being such an amazing husband and daddy. Thank you for being the sunlight in their lives because their lights also radiate into the lives of other people like me.
“Some of us you haven’t met. But you are our father. You have ensured that we do not remain fatherless or motherless. Thank you for the exemplary life you have built in us in so many ways,” she stated.
Former Head of Communications at the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Okey Ikechukwu, also shared the same sentiment when he described the cleric as one of the most humble and strongest personalities he has ever met.
He said, “My first encounter with him was when madam was the minister of education. Three things stood out for me. A man has exemplary respect for the woman he loves and respects. Any time we came to the house for meetings that should take place in the ministry, everything was made out and he never stood in the way. Yet his self respect was intact.
“He is one of the few pastors I consider real man of God. He has strength of character, genuine simplicity; he is not flamboyant and does not make attempt to impress anybody. He was living and still living as somebody who has genuine interest in the welfare of people who cross his path.”
Reacting to the accolades, Ezekwesili said he felt like an outsider listening to the all tributes given in his honour.