Women all over the country will on Wednesday staged a one million women march in Abuja to press for the release of secondary school girls kidnapped in Chibok town by suspected insurgents two weeks ago. Prof. Hauwa Abdu Biu disclosed this yesterday during an emergency meeting convened by the first lady of Borno, Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima on the way forward for the release of the school girls.
She had last week spoke on behalf of coalitions of Borno women in which they call for the release of the school girls and offer to go to the Sambisa Forest in search of the school girls. Prof Biu informed the meeting that the one million march which was tagged “Free our girls” will involve women all over the country and called for the mobilization of Borno women to Abuja for the rally. “The last time, we were in black but this time around the colour for the Abuja rally is red, so we should all be prepared and mobilized ourselves for the rally” she added.
Early the first lady, Hajia Nana while addressing the meeting called on the wives of the service chiefs both in the state and at the federal to assist in mounting pressures on their husbands to intensify efforts towards rescuing the abducted school girls. “I want to seek this opportunity to appeal to women of security chiefs at the national and state level to run and mount pressures on your spouse’s to intensify effort to rescue our dear children however I feel it is necessary to call on all women in Borno to come up with their resolutions and harmonize them” she said
“Let us all put our differences aside irrespective of our faith, ethnic, let us all join hand together to rescue these girls, I know that we can do it, Almighty Allah is with us, he knows our intention” Hajia Nana said amidst sob” “I am sure for now we are not on our own, I am happy to informed you that the wife of the president call me two days ago, I believe that she is also with us, let us all join hand together irrespective of political affiliations” she also said. Most of the women who spoke at the meeting call on the Federal Government and the Security agencies to intensify efforts towards rescuing the kidnapped school girls.
They also called for prayers and fasting in Mosques and Churches so that God can torch the heart of the insurgents to release the girls and they agreed to mobilized themselves to Abuja for the rally. Barrister Aisha Wakil who has been in the forefront of calling on the insurgents to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue cautioned against the use of force in rescuing the girls. The meeting had in attendance wives of service chiefs in the state, nongovernmental organizations, women professional bodies, representatives of Federation of Muslims Women Associations (FOMWAN), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) among others.