A group, BAOBAB for women’s right on Thursday called on the First lady, Dame Patience Jonathan to as a matter of urgency apologize to parents of the abducted Chibok school girls for expressing doubts the abduction took place.
In a statement signed by its Borno State coordinator, Prof. Hauwa Abdu Biu, the group also urged the Federal Government to put in place adequate plans to cater for the needs and address the trauma the parents of the girls are going through.
The group in the statement said, “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 crisis rocking the country”.
The group also called on government to intensify efforts geared towards the immediate rescue of the missing girls.
“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 to their parents”, part of the statement said.
The women right group, however, lauded the effort of various women organizations within and outside the country, religious bodies, local and foreign media towards rescuing the abducted girls.
