Chibok Girls, Nine Years Don Waka

By Prince Charles Dickson Ph.D.

All mumu na idiot, but no be all idiot na mumu.

So, make we talk, make I yarn una…

For night of 14-15 April 2014, craze people group wey dem dey call Boko Haram bin kidnap 276 mostly Christian girls wey be say dem be from 16 to 18 years old from Government Girls Secondary School for Chibok wey dey for Borno State, Naija.

Till now, Chibok don see like one dozen and more attacks, wey mean say every year after dat thing happen, every village like Kwarangullum, Piyemi, Kauitkari, Pemi don dey cry with wahala and people no even send dem.

Nine years don waka and up to 100 of dem girls still dey missing and we never sabi where dem dey till now. And since dat time wey pass, over 1500 pikin dem don carry disappear, and according to the group wey dem dey call Amnesty talk say over 1 million pikin dey still fear to go school.

Di Chibok girls dem don become symbol of naija and her wayward ways. Chibok, one community wey dem dey discuss based on ethnicity, faith, party, politics and hate talk, dat small community represent everything wey dey worry dis kontri. Chibok no get light, no good road, health care no dey, and e get only one small bank wey be like adashe. Na only one secondary school Chibok get. Chibok na Nigeria, and Nigeria na Chibok. I don do work wey heavy well well on top Boko Haram and Chibok girls, the killings, kidnappings, and Nigeria’s conflict wey dey for North-west region.

I don visit Chibok four times, I don talk with some of the girls wey dem release, one wey escape, I don also talk with many of the parents, some of dem don die. Make I quickly share some fact wey I go like call quick reminder ontop dis matter wey I wan talk now. I no expect make everybody agree with me, but truth be say, wetin be the essence of opinion wey go make everybody happy?

Some of those quick facts, include but not limited to the following–true-true, dem bin move those girls from Government Secondary School for Chibok, and e be like say nobody know the exact number of girls wey Boko Haram carry comot, even Boko Haram self no sabi how many dem kidnap. After years of pressure, we get one kain list of missing persons but e get plenty confusion for inside till tomorrow.

Before Chibok, Boko Haram bin dey carry girls and women waka for all that area, for different reasons, government and media no too talk about am, and plenty parents self no too talk about am, as pa say nobody send anybody!

This writer don talk with plenty girls and women wey be victims, dem escape anyhow wey dem fit. Some people believe say na Buhari and the ‘North’ cause Boko Haram wahala, and say if Buhari dey power, the girls for don show face.

Even as Buhari sef come and don dey go, we still no too sabi how Leah take remain for Dapchi wahala. As former oga patapata for we kontri, Abacha bin talk, “if killings go on for so, so and so time, the government knows about it, or are behind it,” and we don see that for ground.

The kwesion be say the new gofment of Mr. Tinubu wey no promise anything go fit do anything? Remember that week wey Boko Haram mata too much, wey United States, UK, France, China, even Togo wan help but nothing happen? E just be like film.

I still remember the negotiation between Modu Sherif, Idris Derby and Jonathan, wey be like dance, and the result show say we no really serious as people for matter wey suppose serious us. And many of our national stories na Chibok matter.

The truth onto di mata be say plenti plenty gels wey dis terrrible group don kidnap don pay the ultimate price, some don run comot with serious damage for head, some don join dem boko haram, and we neva too do much for di mata.

Anoda fact be say, one of di many reasons why Boko Haram fit still dey ground be say plenti plenti pipo neva still sabi wetin di group really stand for, dem get ideology or e dey about poverty, or na CIA palaba or wetin, e get any link with ISWAP or na di same as di bandits and terrorists wey dey kidnap pipo wey dey for different parts of di North. Dem funding and communication, e dey important too.

I no too dey always believe Okikiola Obasanjo the letter writer, but I gree wit am wen e talk say “plenti, infact, half of dese gels no go ever com back…” Na true talk! E get plenti wey don go and dem no go eva come back.

Even Salkida sef talk am, I concur wit am too. But di good Lord go bless all of us wey still dey dedicated to dis tori – true men and women!

The pain na di parents of di Chibok girls, wey still dey cry and mourn, as dem neva sabi di exact situation of dia pikin dem. Dis mata fit neva end, e fit no get end, no mata as we wan see di end.

Na nine years wey we don lose men and officers, and dem don kill and kidnap plenty villagers and villages, and we dey hear plenty propaganda, half-truths, misinformation and lies, and fight dey between opposition PDP and governing APC.

Even di Airforce accuse di Army say dem wan steal dia show. Di army don get wahala of soldiers wey do wetin oyinbo dey call mutiny, local media dey fight foreign media, and Christians dey fight Muslims. But di fact na say we neva see di remaining Chibok girls.

Boko Haram group and dia splinters still dey make demands, dey release videos and dey create confusion, but di fact na say some girls don disappear.

Dem kidnap dem sake of say our institutions no dey work as e suppose dey work, di girls no go fit come back, sake of say we no dey sincere, and we dey easily divide ourselves because of our selfish reasons.

The Guardian newspaper report helps me conclude, “…Yana Galang, on January 1, this year, she signed a New Year open letter on behalf of parents of the abducted Chibok girls and members of the Chibok community, urging President Buhari to rescue the remaining girls in captivity.

The memo reminded the president of his promise to ensure the release of the captives.

“We won’t give up. Even in a hundred years, we will keep believing that our daughters will return home. Are they dead? Are they alive? As a mother, I refuse to accept that my daughter is dead or alive, until I have heard reliable news. Until we all die, we won’t stop believing that our daughters will come back,” she wrote.

Another parent, Ishaya has only one picture of his daughter, Hauwa, but looking at it brings anguish.

“It is still hard for me to look at her picture,” he said. “These thoughts in my head, they make me suffer. No day goes by without thinking of her. Even if our girls have died, we want somebody to inform us. Because then we can finally give up hope.”

Dis administration don spend eight years, and dem never fit fulfil dem promise of safety and security, as dem dey always blame others and dey assure themselves, even as nobody dey safe.

Na so we be as people, and the Chibok matter go always remind us of who we truly be.

Until we ready, like Leah and other failed projects, we go continue to dey hunted and tormented for failing these girls and until we hear the true story. And do what is right—only time go tell.