EDITORIAL: DAPCHI GIRLS ABDUCTION: ANOTHER CHIBOK GIRLS TAKEN TOO FAR
Kennedy Nayina
One of the greatest events of the twenty first century in sub-Saharan Africa is arguably the Boko Haram insurgency that has brought so much devastation and carnage to a land bigger than the whole of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland put together, and more than half the size of France. The region covers about 275,677 square kilometers.
The insurgency that was wished away in its twilight days has become a behemoth that once threatened the sovereignty of the North Eastern part of the country.
In recent times, one name that rings a loud bell in most climes, even in faraway America is CHIBOK GIRLS. Over 200 school girls were abducted by the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents in a Gestapo style which left a very bitter taste in our mouth as a nation and family. All the twists and turns that followed the efforts to recover the girls have not recorded complete success. We will take solace in the words of Mahatma Ghandi that “Success is not in the attainment but in the effort” while accepting the fact that no effort has been spared by the authorities to recover the girls so far; on this particular case our daughters’ lives and future cannot be relegated to the background under any guise and we must stand collectively and put a stop to it. The Bring Back Our Girls Group fought many battles in their quest to get the Chibok Girls back and have suffered untold hardships in the hands of those that ordinarily should protect them.
The world woke up recently to an unbelievable report that another school; Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe state, has been overrun and about 110 school girls abducted. The very narrative that the Chibok saga had has been incredulously repeated about two years after. What does this portend for our already frayed insecurity beaten nerves? We are trying very hard to heal our nerves and this Dapchi incidence again.
In a report of The Nation of March 5th, 2018; Military tackles rep over Dapchi girls’ whereabouts’ by Blessing Olaifa, is not good for the situation. The blame game should stop because it is a distraction and precious time will be lost.
By now if not already in place, there should be security strategy architecture that can be deployed automatically once such situations arise in order to be nipped in the bud and the damage minimized. Communication strategies should be worked on to maintain a streamlined and unified position.
This is another Chibok girls narrative taken too far, something should be done in order to stem the tide of this unpleasant and enervating activity. Edmund Burke said that “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.