Encomium
ENCOMIUM Weekly sought the opinion of young people, especially those within the age bracket of the missing Chibok girls (16-21). Their responses…
SOPHIA UDAK, SS3 (17)
I have been watching the news since the girls were kidnapped, even though I was writing my WAEC exams. What is making me angry about the whole kidnapping is that we don’t know the correct number of the girls. One station will say 300, another will say over 200. But really I feel the pain of those girls. I can’t imagine what they will be going through every day in that forest. I am afraid for them. It’s really painful!
WISDOM NWABUEZE, SS3 (18)
It is very bad. I don’t think those Boko Haram people are human beings. What is more painful is that the missing girls were writing the same WAEC exams that I just finished, and they were kidnapped. They will have to re-sit the exams. I feel like just going to the Sambisa forest and plant my fingers into that Shekau’s eyes and rescue the girls.
BAYO OLAGBEMI, SS2 (16)
I wasn’t watching the news, but because of those girls that Boko Haram has kidnapped, I started watching at night with my daddy. One night when all of us in my house were watching the news at 10pm, I asked my dad, ‘What if it was Tomiwa (my sister) that they kidnapped, what will you do?’ My dad couldn’t say anything. What that Shekau is doing is not good. It is very wicked.
He should please release the girls, so that God will not punish him.
ISAAC NWOKIKE, SS2 (15)
It is very bad. What Boko Haram are doing is wicked. Killing people anyhow. One day, I was in class, I asked my muslim friend (Lanre), if what Boko Haram are doing is in their Quran. He said no. that they do not teach them to kill people for any reason. Sometimes I imagine how I can invent something that can destroy all the Boko Haram people at once.
I feel like going into the Sambisa forest and rescuing all the girls. I pray for them. God will help them.
FAVOUR PAUL, SS2 (17)
I don’t know how these girls are surviving in the forest without their mothers, brothers, sisters and family. I can’t do it o! They have stayed in the forest for one month now. God should just strengthen them because they are girls and cannot survive on their own.
SARAH OKONKWO, SS3 (19)
The lives of those girls will not remain the same again. The memories of this kidnapping will forever remain in their minds, even when they become adults. I really feel sorry for them.
It will have psychological effect on them for life. I am pleading with Shekau, please release our girls. They have done nothing wrong.
JEMMAT BALOGUN, awaiting admission (20)
Allah will judge all the evil doers, including Boko Haram and their leader. They claim they are doing the will of Allah and obeying the Holy Quran. But that is a pure lie and misleading.
You can’t be killing people here and there, kidnapping children, causing pain and bringing sorrow, then you say you are doing the will of Allah. I disagree with that idea. Allah will show the world His true children very soon.
ABOLANLE ADEOYE, SS3 (17)
I really can’t think about the troubles of these girls, I feel like crying for them. I can remember when my friend, Bukky was very ill, and no one could come close to her, unless you will be infected. I couldn’t bear it. I will just be imaging the pain she will be going through.
It was very painful. I am sure the mothers and friends of these girls will be going through the same thing. So, I am begging the government to help rescue the girls. Please!
FRANK AGU, awaiting admission (19)
Sometimes, I feel the pain of those mothers of the missing girls. I just wish there was a way I could help to rescue them. These girls are seriously suffering. I am sure of that. I will be praying for them.
DAVID OLALEYE, SS3 (18)
What a pity! Life can really be wicked. What did those girls do to Boko Haram? I am afraid to remain in my boarding house since the girls were kidnapped. I have told my parents to change me to a day student. But my daddy said the girls will be rescued. I pray so!
MOJISOLA OLADELE, SS2 (16)
I have been very conscious of where I go since those girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram. What is confusing me is that why did they kidnap those girls? Are they the people that are stopping them from practicing Sharia law? Please, they should release the girls!
NAOMI AKUBARA, SS2 (16)
What is worrying those Boko Haram people sef?! They bomb churches, houses and kidnap girls. Very disgusting! I really don’t khow what to say but I know that they will be free one day
I really have pity for the girls. God should just help to bring back my friends in Sambisa forest.
JOHN CHINAGOROM, awaiting admission (20)
God knows why everything happens. Our security people are incompetent. If it was in the USA, they would have rescued the girls by now. We have bad security personnel in the country. How can that number of girls be kidnapped and there’ll be no trace of them?
TEMISAN OKODUWA, SS3 (17)
I am very close to my mom, so you mean some terrorists will just kidnap me and separate me from my mom? Never!
I will bite their ears off. All of them! But really, what do they want to get from the girls? God should please help and bring back the girls safely.
…other reactions
DANIELLA IGHODALO
Where on earth have you heard or seen terrorists negotiated. Terrorists can’t be trusted! They are devils, they haven’t got any integrity. So, how can you hold them by their word? I say a resounding no!
No negotiation with those blood thirsty creatures. Boko Haram has proven beyond reasonable doubt that their actions are ideologically baseless.
HABEEB AYUBA
I really don’t buy into the idea of negotiation with Boko Haram. First, they are faceless. Who are we negotiating with? Second, they have veered off the track of Islamic bombings. They are anti-Islam. They are anti-progress. Bottom line, I don’t buy into the idea.
JAMES ISSAH
Dialogue is a proven conflict resolution tool. But in the case of people who have lost touch with society and humanity like the Boko Haram sect, dialogue is not an option.
Simply because they would make unreasonable and unrealistic demands. What is the assurance that after the release of these detained members, they wouldn’t start killing people again?
STEVEN OBINMA
I think negotiating with Boko Haram should have been a welcomed idea if no condition was attached.
The idea of trade by barter is absolutely not welcomed. How can they be asking for the exchange of the abducted innocent gives for their members who are being detained for committing heinous crime? Those arrested should be made to face the full wrath of the law. I believe bowing to Boko Haram means a reversal of the activities of all the people, locally and internationally, fighting for the release of the young girls.
MUSA SULAIMON
There shouldn’t be any negotiation between the federal government and Boko Haram insurgents at all. It’s like admitting they are superior to the federal government and the whole country. It’s a way of calling the Nigerians fools.
Federal government should, instead of that, intensify efforts in getting the abducted Chibok school girls released unharmed. I believe there is always a way when people think all hope is lost if we believe in od.
We should stop glamourising their unholy activities.
KAYODE AYODELE
Whatever it takes to rescue these girls should be encouraged. Much as I don’t support negotiating with insurgents, if they are ready to talk, the Federal Government should tell them to release the girls unconditionally.
I’m sure that these kids are being abused seriously in the last one month of captivity. Something urgent should be done.
CHRIS NWAOKOBIA JR
I am totally opposed to the proposed or otherwise raging swap deal. Prisoners swap is totally different from what presently is the case. The Israeli phenomenon for instance isn’t right here because it was an exchange between authorities. Israel and Palestine, sometimes between Israel and Labanon, Egypt, Syria.
Here we are talking about murderous and impious terrorists, any negotiation must not include swapping innocence for killers, if that mistake is made, then the Haramist wins because a blackmail paradigm and ominous precedent comes into place where they will attack and kill more people with impunity knowing that after each reign of terror, they will abduct or kidnap kids as pawns of negotiation for their prisoners. Believe me since Boko Haram is directly responsible for over 4,000 deaths so far, government must show that much as they care about our young Angels the sensibilities of the bereaved and the widows of the dead count, the best way out of this rock and a hard ground situation is to offer Boko Haram immunity from prosecution in exchange for our Angels and keep their prisoners in custody until such a time that their activities exterminate and their terror network goes extinct. No to exchange of our Angels/Innocence for killers/murderers, this is a critique with solution.
HON. FATAI ADERIBIGBE
It is not possible, federal government should not and would not negotiate with faceless terrorist who bomb, maim and kill innocent citizen for their selfish reasons. It is not a right step at all.
I suggest government should increase its military action in that region and flush out perpetrators.
TESSY ANIESI
With the release of the video, skeptics have now been convinced that these girls are obviously missing. There is the need to dialogue with the insurgents through their proxies since they are now willing to talk. The only problem is that America is usually opposed to negotiating with terrorists.
The message for us still remains bring back out girls now and alive.
