A group, Coalition of Civil Society for the Girl Child and Women, in
company of some parents of the abducted Dapchi school girls, on Thursday
embarked on peaceful protest to the National Assembly.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protest was organised
to lend a voice to the release of the abducted students of Government
Science and Technical College Dapchi, Yobe State, on Feb.19.
The group urged the Lawmakers to investigate the abduction of the
students, and take steps towards safeguarding the girl child as Nigeria
join the rest of the world in marking the 2018 International Women’s Day
(IWD).
Mr Ariyo Dare-Atoye, who spoke on behalf of the group, said the
peaceful protest was a solemn march to remind leaders at all levels that
a lot needs to be done to protect women.
”We are asking the National Assembly, to show leadership by urgently
convening a special stakeholders summit to address the plight of women
and the girl child, mostly in zones and areas prone to attacks.
”The National Assembly is also urged to conduct a powerful
investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding how over a
hundred girls were kidnapped without them being spotted or meeting any
security check points.
`’We have decided to use the occasion of the 2018 International
Women’s Day to further call for national reawakening and global action
in support of the girl child and women in Nigeria”, he said.
One of the parenst, Mr Yahaya Tarbutu, said two of his daughters Fatima and Amina were among the abducted girls.
He therefore urged that Government should take urgent steps towards the release of the girls.
”‘’Today makes it 17 days that our daughters have been taken away
from us in Dapchi, and we do not know how many days more they will be
spending in captivity.”
”We are not here to condemn the Federal Government and our security
agencies, but to tell them that they need to do more to make sure our
daughters are released.’’”
NAN reports that International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day
celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of
women.
It is a collective day of global celebration and a call for gender parity.