ABUJA, Nigeria – Parents of the abducted Chibok girls have sent an emotional appeal to President Bola Tinubu, calling on him to facilitate the release of the 92 girls still in Boko Haram’s captivity.
The concerned parents, represented by Yana Galang, mother of captive Rifkatu Galang, and Zanna Lawan, father of captive Aisha Lawan, issued the plea in a heartfelt letter on Monday, June 12, 2023.
They also used the opportunity to congratulate President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima on their recent assumption of office.
The parents implored Tinubu to focus his attention on securing the release of the remaining girls, whose abduction in 2014 from Chibok Government Secondary School has brought about “years of pain and agony.”
“Mr President, we seek you to be the light that will illuminate our darkness, end our writhing pains, dry our tears, and free us from the shackles of sadness, sorrow, and anguish this trajectory has brought into our existence,” they wrote.
While acknowledging that Tinubu didn’t make a direct promise to address their specific plight during his inaugural speech, they felt encouraged by his pledge to prioritize security.
The parents called on him to uphold this commitment and to “beam a searchlight on the recovery of the remaining 92 of our kidnapped daughters.”
The parents also referenced former President Muhammadu Buhari’s inaugural speech in 2015, when he said his administration couldn’t claim to have defeated Boko Haram without the girls’ rescue.
They expressed hope that under the new administration, the earlier promises of rescuing the girls would be fulfilled.
As they face the grim prospect of marking another year since their daughters’ abduction, the parents hope that President Tinubu can provide the relief they have been waiting for, ending their years of suffering.
