Beyond Chibok - Interfaith response to insecurity Christian Aid Nigeria’s call to action

The Christian Aid team in Abuja, Nigeria, add their voices to the ‘Bring back our girls’ campaign.

On the 14th of April 2014, a mass abduction of over 200 girls from their school premises in Chibok, Borno state was carried out by armed men belonging to the terrorist group, Boko Haram in an operation that reportedly lasted for over four hours. This incident followed shortly after 29 boys were brutally murdered during an attack on a school in Yobe state on 25th February 2014.The inability of security operatives to protect Nigerians in these trying times and specifically, these girls in this context, is totally appalling and unacceptable.

Continuous acts of terror being committed by this group who proclaim to be against Western education has left people in the North- Eastern region of the country living in fear for their lives and deprived of their right to education and freedom due to repeated attacks on communities and schools. This has also left children in the region afraid to go to school1 and Nigerians living in perpetual fear of “what will happen next and where?”

The abduction of these girls is a cause of concern for every Nigerian considering the risks that they face that includes, among other things, sexual violation, unwanted

1 http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/11/world/africa/nigeria-escaped-schoolgirl-speaks/

pregnancies, VVF and psychological trauma. There is also at a very high risk of being trafficked as the leader of the group has recently threatened to sell the girls2.

This is an attack on our humanity and the peak of gender based violence. The question is: How long can we live in a society where our security and freedom is constantly threatened and we cannot make our own choices freely?

We believe that everyone regardless of gender or religion has a right to make their own choices and a right to education, therefore, Christian Aid Nigeria strongly condemns this act and the slow response of the government and security operatives to rescuing the girls. We call on religious and traditional leaders to take the following actions:

Call to action:

To raise their voices in support for this campaign to bring back our girls. To mobilise their congregation to active citizenry, to be vigilant and provide

information to the authorities to help curb terrorism. To demand that the government takes responsibility for the security of the lives

of all Nigerians. To demand that our government takes stronger proactive measures against new

abductions and threats to lives of citizens. The government provide public information on personal safety and risk

assessment for the general public. To demand that the government exposes and prosecutes those who are directly

and indirectly connected to Boko Haram and terrorism in the country no matter who they are or highly placed.

For more information please contact: Christian Aid Nigerianigeria-info@christian-aid.org +234-97830425Follow us on twitter @christian_aid www.christianaid.org.uk/nigeria

2 http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/08/world/africa/nigeria-abducted-girls/