Chibok Community Decries Persistent Abduction, Neglect By FG

By CHIKA MEFOR AND EJIKE EJIKE

The Chibok Community in Abuja has decried the persistent abduction and attack by the Boko Haram insurgents and the alleged neglect by the federal government to speak on the issue.

Speaking at the #BringBackOurGirls group sit-out yesterday, the Vice chairman of the Chibok community in Abuja, Nkeki Mutah lamented the reported abduction of six girls recently by the Boko Haram insurgents and wondered why the federal government would not say anything about it.

He noted that it is becoming obvious that the matters of the rich are being treated urgently while the poor are left to their fate in the face of insurgence, abduction and kidnapping and recalled how attentions are given to kidnapping of Olu Falea recently while the six girls are just ignored.

While calling for federal government prompt actions on issues like this and implication of keeping silence at times like this, Mutah recalled that this was exactly what happened when the Chibok girls were abducted and that is why they are still missing for over six years now.

It would be recalled that there were reports that Boko Haram insurgents abducted several girls on November 28 after killing many in the village during the attack.

Also, a panel set up by the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima to investigate claims of new abductions of women in Bam-Buratai, confirmed that a family of six was missing.

Gov. Shettima set up a seven-man fact-finding panel following reports of the purported abduction, particularly as the news came more than a year after over 400 school girls were abducted in their hostel in Chibok by Boko Haram. The Chibok girls are still missing.

The committee, in its report submitted to Shettima on Wednesday in Maiduguri, said it was not sure whether the missing family members were abducted or not, given the fact that there were infants amongst them.

The committee said it found out that the insurgents invaded the community at about 10 p.m on November 28, shooting sporadically following which they killed some residents and set the village on fire.

The committee, led by the member representing Biu State Constituency in Borno State House of Assembly, Aliyu Kachalla, said it ascertained that family members of one of the villagers, named Pidigum Pin dar, had been missing.

“They include Mrs. Gambo Pidigum and Mrs. Hamsatu Pidigum, the first and second wives respectively,” the committee said in the report. Those discovered to have been abducted, according to the committee, were children of the Pidigum fam ily, and they are: Hauwa’u Pi digum, an 8-years-old Primary 3 schoolgirl; Abdul lahi Pidigum, 2-years-6 months- old boy; Ummi Pidigum, a year and 6-months-old girl and Rabi Pidigum, a 6-month-old girl.