A Gripping Testimony

Above is a picture of the recently released 82 Chibok girls with the President of Nigeria. I find it shocking that some doubting Thomas's are still out there claiming fervently that this whole  missing #ChibokGirls saga is a scam and a ruse, despite all the evidences shown. I wonder how such reprobated minds function and then I say a prayer for them not to experience such anguish the same way the parents of these girls have.

I found the italicised article below on a friend's Facebook page, which he shared. It was written by a Jack Vince, a freelance journalist in the Northern part of Nigeria.

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In December 2015, Femi Owolabi and I visited Chibok town as journalists. While we were going about our business, we interviewed some parents of the missing Chibok school girls. I made a facebook update thereafter:

"Have you seen the inscription of despair, fear, disappointment and regret all rolled into a ball of sorrow on one woman's face? Not just any woman but a mother who lost a child; not to the cold hands of death, but to a marauding band of despotic and heartless terrorists? It is even more heartbreaking considering the bond between a mother and her last-born child. AUTA, as we call last-born children in the north. And now the mother is made to carry the burden of hope and despair in her heart not for a few months in the event of death, but for every second of every minute, every minute of every hour, every hour of every day and every day of the rest of her life since the abduction of her precious last-born child. 

Mama Rebecca Takai Nkeki mother of Hauwa Nkeki Takai, one of the 219 missing Chibok school girls has been bearing this pain and torture every day since that fateful day of April 14, 2014, over a year ago today, when her daughter and the other missing school girls were abducted by members of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents into the Sambisa forest. 

"Hauwa used to be a kind, respectful and hardworking girl", her mother recalled. 

In a tear-inducing and emotion-ladened voice, Mama Rebecca Takai Nkeki said, 

"Anytime I pick up the broom to sweep the floor of the house, I remember that my daughter would have been the one doing it. She loved working. I sweep the floor myself everyday and everyday the memories of my child fill me with tears. Now I have high blood pressure", at this point, she broke down in tears forcing the same emotion in Femi and I. 

"I keep to myself a lot", Mr Takai Nkeki, father of the the abducted Hauwa Nkeki, said. "I get broken down emotionally anytime I see children, her mate, moving around", he added. 

Both parents are hopeful that Hauwa would come back to them someday. The onus now lies with the government and all relevant stakeholders to do the needful in ensuring that all the girls return to their parents safe and alive.

Selah!"

82 of the missing Chibok school girls were released yesterday after a negotiation between the government and the insurgents. HAUWA N. TAKAI is number 57 on the list.

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If you read the above and still doubt the authenticity of these reports on the #ChibokGirls, then I strongly bid you farewell as you wallow in sheer nefarious ignorance.

I'm mighty glad about these girls return and I sincerely hope he government has strong rehabilitation and counselling plans in place for them and their families. I pray that the rest of them and others still in Boko Haram's custody would regain heir freedom soon.

Hope Kept Them Alive......

There are reports of another Chibok school girl who has been found safe and alive by the Nigerian Army and vigilantes in Borno State after over two years of being in Boko Haram terrorists' captivity. Serah Luka is the daughter of a Christian pastor and had only been in the school for just two months when she was kidnapped alongside 218 other classmates and schoolmates of hers by the terrorists.

Brave Serah Luka

The Nigerian Army has cut of several supply routes of Boko Haram and it appears hunger and suffering is starting to drive them further out of Sambas forest. This means that without their regular food supplies, they are bound to come out of the forest to seek food in order to survive. Which in turn means we would most likely be seeing more of those who have been held in captivity all this time.

According to Amina, the first girl who was rescued a few days ago, all the students are still being held in Sambas except six of whom had died. :( I cannot imagine their parent's anguish at hearing such news, not knowing if their daughter would be among the six or not. Gosh, what a mess we have made of the lives of these people. 

Amina, her baby and her relieved and doting mother. Wow.

I have awaited these days of seeing our girls brought back home. I have cried, prayed, wished, hoped and longed for their return. I kept hope alive and I am mighty glad that it is slowly but surely becoming a reality, their return is. I sincerely hope that our government and the international government have got excellent rehabilitation, therapy and counselling plans for these children as they bring them back home to us. 

Their eyes tells deep stories of pain and unspoken horror and I wish I could hug it all away. I cannot imagine the things they've been subjected to and have seen at their tender ages. I don't even know how we can make this all right for them but I do know that first, we must bring them home.

Hoping Against Hope (2)

Today marks two whole years since over 200 girls were taken away by the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists. Unfortunately and heartbreakingly, they are all not back yet. I cannot fly comprehend what their parents have been through these past 24 months, hoping, waiting and praying for the safe return of their children. Perhaps their hearts stop beating each time they hear there's been another female suicide bomber, praying fervently that she won't be theirs. The long nights of being unable to sleep properly and the long days of being unable to eat properly because they cannot say for sure how well their own children are sleeping and eating. 

In the past two years, some of the parents have died because they could not bear the horrors their daughters could have been subjected to, others probably cry daily for the return of these children. It cannot have been easy, being apart from their daughters and not knowing the fate that have befallen the innocent children. 

A few days ago, there was a video released by CNN which showed that some of the girls are alive and appear well. It is alleged that the video was gotten during a recent negotiation to get the girls back. Many are hopeful that the present Nigerian government would be able to bring these Chibok girls back safe. I am hopeful too.

I wrote this post last year and it breaks my heart that a whole afterwards, we are still in nearly the same spot on this issue.