The chairman, Forum of Parents of Missing Dapchi Girls, Mr. Bashir Manzo, has confirmed that 105 students of the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, in Bursari Local Government Area of Yobe State are still unaccounted for after Boko Haram jihadists attacked the institution on Monday.
Speaking in an interview, Manzo whose 16-year-old daughter, Fatima, is among the missing girls said the parents had proof that the girls were abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents.
“Our first step was to compile a comprehensive list of all the missing girls. So far, we have compiled the names of 105.
“The list we have here is from the parents that came themselves and reported that they had not seen their children up till this moment.
“When a parent comes, he gives us his name himself, the name of his child, his town, local government area and his phone number. We are not collating these names by any phone call or text message. You have to come yourself and give your name and the name of your daughter that is missing otherwise we will not accept anything short of that.
“The list we have got now is 105 students that have not been found up till today. We had a report that these children were found at Gaidam and people celebrated. We even gathered that the children would be handed over to the governor here in Dapchi.
“When the governor came, we were gathered at the house of the District Head and the governor told us that none of the girls had been rescued. The governor said he was not sure whether our children are in Boko Haram’s captivity, but we are sure that Boko Haram took our children. We have evidence.
“When the governor came, we were gathered at the house of the district head and the governor told us that none of the girls had been rescued.
“The governor said he was not sure whether our children are in Boko Haram’s captivity, but we are sure that Boko Haram took our children. We have evidence,” he said.
Meanwhile, the #BringBackOurGirls group has condemned government’s handling of the latest abduction saying a government that fails in its responsibility to protect the lives and properties of its citizens is no longer fit to be called a government
Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, who took to her twitter handle, said the first duty of as government is to protect lives and property.
“Devastated, exhausted and yet, we shall stand and fight for justice of the rescue of our Dapchi girls by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. Not even our remaining 112 Chibok schoolgirls would imagine any more daughters of Nigeria would be failed again.
“That the tragedy of the Dapchi girls and its handling entirely repeat the pattern of the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction nearly four years ago (under a different federal government) shows how our leaders seldom learn any lessons from failure,” she tweeted.
Another leader of the BBOG, Ms. Aisha Yesufu, said on her twitter page: “Reading this (abduction of Yobe schoolgirls) is just painful. While terrorists were regrouping, our military was busy handing over a flag to the President and declaring technical defeat. Find the girls. Bring them to their parents and that’s all. They don’t want publicity. They want their children.
“For some, Dapchi (abduction) is an opportunity to score political points; to be able to say the government is working or not working. Can you stop for a moment and imagine when you were in secondary school and you were abducted? What would have mattered most to you and your family?
“How can Lai Mohammed be talking about the government’s image when people’s daughters have been abducted and only God knows what they are going through? A government that fails in its responsibility to protect the lives and properties of its citizens is no longer fit to be called a government. February 25 of this year would be the fourth year memorial of Buni Yadi boys slaughtered by the Boko Haram in their school in Yobe State. We learnt nothing?”
