By Gabriella Ogbu
The public is being urged to remember the 108 Chibok girls who are still being held captive by Boko Haram militants by members of the Chibok Parents Association.
They implored the authorities to persevere in its efforts to find and rescue the girls and return them.
The request was made during the “Statues Also Breathe” movie screening, which was sponsored by the CPA and the SAB Art Foundation.
The event took place in Lagos on Thursday and featured talks with two of the rescued girls, a representative of the CPA, and artists. The movie shows how some of the recovered girls worked together to create sculptures and memorials for the remaining kidnapped victims.
Yahi Bwata, one of the parents of the Chibok children, recounted how, in 2014, fifty-seven of the kidnapped girls jumped out of the truck carrying their captors.
Additionally, he claimed that while former President Goodluck Jonathan assisted with the rescue effort, not much of an impact was made.
Journalist and media entrepreneur Kadaria Ahmad revealed, when translating Saratu Samuel’s letter from Hausa to English, that the father of the kidnapped girl passed away due to trauma from her abduction and protracted absence.
Ahmad further mentioned that the anguish of losing their daughters after the kidnapping claimed the lives of 48 parents of the Chibok girls.
Amina Ali and Jummai Mutah, two of the rescued girls, also gave speeches during the occasion.
They both recollected how they were taken, how they were saved, and how they were handling the shock of being taken hostage.
According to Dr. Olusegun Fajuyigbe, an associate professor at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ife and a visual artist, the video was made possible through collaboration with French multidisciplinary artist Prune Nourry and Nigerian singer Ade Bantu.
Fajuyigbe stated, “To the dismay of everyone, it appears that the remaining 108 girls have been forgotten, so the intention of Prune was to use arts as a tool of social awareness, transformation, and to help shed more light on the issue.”
In April 2014, 276 girls from Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists. 57 of the abducted people apparently jumped out of the kidnapper’s truck.
As of April 2023, 125 girls had reportedly been released from Boko Haram’s captivity. They included two Chibok girls, Esther Marcus and Hauwa Malta, who were rescued by forces near Lagara, a Boko Haram stronghold in the Sambisa forest. Also, reports revealed that August 2023, another Chibok girl, Mary Nkeki, had been rescued by forces from Operation Hadin Kai Theatre Command.
The Theatre Commander, Maj. Gen. Gold Chibuisi, reported that Nkeki gave birth to two children for Adam, an insurgent, but both died.
