#BringBackOurGirls marks 5th anniversary in Nigeria, London, New York

The #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) advocacy group will today, in three continents, commence a three-day event to mark the 5th anniversary of the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction by Boko Haram.

276 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on the night of April 14, 2014, making Sunday, April 14 the 5th anniversary of the event.

In a statement made available to The Nation yesterday, the #BringBackOurGirls said it will host simultaneous events in Abuja, London, New York and Washington DC “to mark this sad anniversary.”

BBOG said it would “mark the 5th year of captivity for 112 Chibok Girls by gathering with members of the Chibok community and members of BBOG from all over Lagos to remind our government and the world that they are still missing…”

It will kick off today’s event in Lagos with a march from Falomo Roundabout, Ikoyi at 11am.

Read also: ‘How I survived two Boko Haram bomb attacks in Maiduguri’

Tomorrow, from 12 – 2pm, there will be a BBOG Sit out at Falomo Roundabout, Ikoyi and a BBOG Sit out at 64, Adewale Adenuga Street, Orilowo Bus stop via Binta International School, Ejigbo, Lagos.  The activities will come to a climax on Sunday, April 14 with an interfaith vigil at Falomo Roundabout, Ikoyi between 5pm and 7pm.

Sunday in London, a panel of discussants will consider the topic, #BlackLivesMatter and the #BringBackOurGirls movement: Online struggle for offline justice.

This will hold between 4pm and 7pm at The Africa Centre, 66 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0BL.

In New York, the event will be marked with an overnight vigil at the Nigerian Embassy from 10pm on Sunday, April 14 and 10am on Monday, April 15.

The organisers said they would not relent in their advocacy and demands for the rescue of the country’s school children and fellow citizens from captivity.

“We demand: justice for the slain, resettlement and rehabilitation for people displaced by the violence, safe schools, the launch of the National Missing Persons Register; and proper welfare, equipment and support for officers and families of our police and armed forces,” the organisers said.