Nigeria: New Protest Planned For Friday As International Solidarity Grow Over Missing Girls

by Benson Agoha

A new solidarity protest is to take place on Friday 9th May, 2014 to increase pressure on the government and Boko Haram to return some 200 school girls kidnapped from their hostels in a mid-night raid.

The new protest comes on the heel of an international solidarity with Nigeria government to find the girls, whom Boko Haram leader Abubarkar Shekau, this week, threatened to sell into slavery.

After three weeks, the Nigerian government accepted international help from the Britian, United States and France to help find and bring back the girls.

Britian offered this help a day after the news broke and will now send experts to advise the Nigerian government officials on efforts to find the girls and combat serial terrorists activities of Boko Haram.

On their part, the United states is sending military and civilian experts to track the locations of Boko Haram and the girls.

* US First Lady, Michelle Obama Joins #BringBackOurGirls Campaign.

 

Nigerian government said they have no idea where the girls are and efforts to locate them had often been sabotaged by unpatriotic individuals who betray the efforts of the military by informing the terror group.

Today, US First Lady, Michelle Obama, lent her support to the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.  The first lady tweeted a photograph of herself holding a post with the capaign slogan.

The campaign uses a #BringBackOurGirls hastag on Twitter  to draw attention to the missing girls.

In her message, the US first lady said “Our prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families. It’s time to #BringBackOurGirls. –mo.” Mrs. Obama certainly looks somber with that poster showing the message.

* Marina Lalovic holds up her poster with message.
 

Marina Lalovic, a Jounalist and Radio Host-Moderator at Italian Rai Radio3Mondo has also lent her support, just as her colleagues at work.
 

 

* Rosa Polacco of Italy's Rai Radio3Mondo.

 

And Taliban attack survivor, Malala Yousafzai, urged the world to take action saying "if we remain silent then this will spread, this will happen more and more and more".

 

In a video released by the BBC, Malala said that when she heard abour the Nigerian girls, she felt that her sisters were in prison.

 

 

* Sad: Malala Yousafzai ""if we remain silent then this will spread."

 

She said "I am already very sad that many days have passed without these girls being recovered."

 

Malala said Boko Haram does not understand the message of Islam and that their action negates that message of peace that Islam teaches.

 

Former UN Scribe Kofi Anan told the BBC he thought the reaction of African governments should have been faster and that Nigeria should have been more engaging with its people.

 

He urged that security forces be used to free these girls from Boko Haram.

 

Kofi Anan said international co-operation was necessary to combat terror in every way including sharing of information and expressed delight that the Britain, US, France and other nations have rallied and offered their help.

* Twitter: @woolwichonline.
* Photos Credit: Used with thanks.