SAN FRANCISCO, September 06, (THEWILL) – Security operatives, numbering about hundred, on Tuesday stormed the Unity Fountain, where they tried to stop the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG campaigners from proceeding with their planned rally to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The group is campaigning for the release of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the extremist group, Boko Haram, in 2014.
After a recent video of the Chibok schoolgirls was released by Boko Haram, BBOG announced its decision to be marching to the villa every 72 hours until President Muhammadu Buhari briefed them of an immediate plan to rescue the girls who have been in captivity since 2014.
The BBOG had postponed its rally from Friday to Tuesday. But shortly after they began the walk as usual from the Unity Fountain, venue of the #BBOG daily sit-out, heading for the three arm zone, they were stopped by security men around the Ministry of Justice, Abuja.
The security men comprising mainly the police said the BBOG campaign was illegal because they had no permission to protest.
At the fountain, a police officer, Abiodun Alamatu, said he had orders to stop the protesters from embarking on a march, explaining that “The way you people are taking this thing is getting out of control.”
But a co-convener of the movement, Obiageli Ezekwesili, engaged Alamatu, a police officer who told her the group could not embark on a protest, until she provided proof that they secured permission for the protest.
The movement provided acknowledged copies of the letters submitted to the police on the planned march, after which they were allowed to continue.
Almost halfway to the presidential villa at the federal high court, the movement was again stopped by a police deputy commissioner, M. D. Garba, who kept mute on why they would not be allowed to embark on the march.
However, the BBOG protesters broke through the wall of riot police officers and by running in different directions eventually got to the entrance of the presidential villa were they met a Pro-Muhammadu Buhari group identified as ‘With Buhari We Stand’.
Another leader of the movement, Aisha Yesufu, expressed anger, saying they could not be barred from embarking on a march in a democratic era.
“If you were the one taken, I will stand stand for you, or is it because you were not taken? If it was your daughter, I will stand for you,” she said.
While addressing journalists, Yesufu said it was not a privilege but a right to rescue the Chibok girls, adding that “If Aisha Buhari was in captivity, won’t they take action? It is not a privilege to bring back our girls; it is not right.
“The option of do-nothing, unfortunately, is what the government is doing.”
But speaking on behalf of the pro-Buhari group, Idris King said the “Chibok girls were only used as a scam”.
