WOMEN FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN NIGERIA LAGOS CHAPER -176 GIRLS GO MISSING IN LAGOS ALONG WITH THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH
The wall of missing girls aroundthe Falomo Roundabout under theFalomo Bridgein Lagoshadbecomesignificantinthecrusadeforthesearchforourmissinggirls.OnMay 8thattheroundabout,WomenFor Peace and Justice Bring Back our Girls Lagosafter obtaining therequired permission,hadcarefully placedplacards with the profiles and names of 176 Chibok girlsthatthat had been verified by CAN. The placards were evidence that200+girlsweremissingandwereasymbolofourcommitment tobring backourgirls,thesharedpainoftheChibokparentsandtheloveofournation.
Yesterdayafternoon on returning fromourweekly speak outSaturday,we found that ourwallofmissinggirlswasgonewithoutatrace.Oninquiringaboutthewhereabouts of theplacards,welearntthatthepolicearound3amSaturdaymorningremoved the placards.Noonecouldtelluswhyandnoonecouldtellushowandclearlynoonehad done anything to prevent it.As the very little known facts were presented tous,a chillingrealityemergedInacruelway,theChibokgirls’nightofhorrorexactly2months agoon14Aprilhad repeateditselfinLagosinalessviolentyetequallyshockingway. The200+girlshadagainbeenabducted.Thenightmarewasrepeatingitself.
We arestill trying to make sense of it. What is the symbolism of this cowardly act executed in the middle of the night? Could anyonedeliberately want the girls to disappearandbeerasedfromourmemoriesforever?Whocouldpossiblybethreatened by176woodenplacardsataroundaboutinLagos?
Whenwemountedtheplacardsseveralweeksago,Lagosiansfromallwalksoflifehad joined in the rally with allies from the international community including the United Nationschargingtheway.Thebusyround-aboutwiththegirls’profileshadservedasa dailyreminder for all ofus not to accept these acts as a way of life in Nigeria and demandthatthegirlsbebroughtbacksafeandalive.
Weshouldallbeproudofourabilitytounitetobringbackourgirls.Theralliesandevents should be seenas vibrant signs ofa society that caresandanAfrican democracy that allows freedom of speech. Abducting girls–whether they be living human beings or representedbywoodenplacards–inthemiddleofthenightarebothheinousactsbut fordifferentreasons.OnedirectlyviolatestheyounggirlsfromChibokwhiletheother violatesourright to expressourselves.Weremain more dedicatedthan everto the efforts to #BringBackOurGirls and bring back therightfor Nigerian citizens to express themselvesfreelyascouldbeexpectedinademocraticsociety.