Women group chides First Lady for doubting school girls’ abduction

Maiduguri — A group, BAOBAB for Women’s Right, yesterday, called on the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, to apologise to parents of abducted Chibok school girls for doubting that the abduction took place. *Patience Jonathan The group in a statement by its Borno State coordinator, Prof. Hauwa Biu, also called on the Federal Government to put in place adequate plans to cater for the needs and address the trauma the parents of the girls were going through. “BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, Borno State outreach condemns in its totality the actions of the wife of Nigerian president, Mrs. Patience Jonathan on concerns shown by people within and outside Nigeria on the abduction of innocent girls. This act of criminality, as we are aware violates their fundamental human right to education. “A situation when the wife of the president who does not have a role under the Nigerian constitution begins to summon and interrogate duly appointed government officials as well as giving them directives and detaining some of them, is worrisome as this could interfere with the various actions put in place towards addressing insurgency rocking the country,” the group said. It also called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to effect the immediate rescue of the missing girls. The group said: “We want them back, safe in their homes wherever they are. The poor handling of information about the exact number of girls who are still missing and the fact that members of the Boko Haram have claimed responsibility for the abduction of these girls must not deter those with the responsibility for the safety of all Nigerians from working to find these girls where they are being held and return them to their parents.” It commended the effort of various women organisations within and outside the country, religious bodies, local and foreign media towards rescuing the abducted girls.