14 Chibok parents dead as rescue hopes fade

Enoch Mark, one of the parents of the abducted Chibok girls, says he has lost faith in the ability of President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue his daughter.

Meanwhile, Pogu Bitrus, chairman of Chibok Community Development Association, says at least 14 of the Chibok girls’ parents have died.

Speaking with TheCable on Wednesday, Mark, who formerly chaired an association of the parents of the missing girls, said that he had expected the Buhari government to do more in rescuing the 219 schoolgirls abducted from their dormitory at Chibok Borno state, on April 14, 2014.

“It has been two years since the abduction of our daughters. When the former government was in office, I was not happy. I was saying they were not doing well. But when Buhari came in, I was expecting him to do something to rescue our daughters,” he said.

“It looks like the past government and this present one the difference is very little. Concerning the Chibok girls, the past government was a bit closer to us. I was expecting this present government to do better, but it looks like this government has made us lose hope. If this is how they will continue we the parents have little hope.

“I don’t have much hope. We have heard of the rescue of 270, 1000 girls and women, but we have not heard of the rescue of one Chibok girl. Does it mean they don’t know.”

Also, speaking with TheCable, Bitrus, said that at least 14 of the Chibok girls’ parents had died of trauma and other causes.

“The conditions have not changed,” he said.

“It is just anxiety and hopelessness. When you lack capacity to do something, you are left in a hopeless situation. All we are saying is that two years has come and passed without the girls. Even now, besides the intervention of foreign bodies the school from where the girls were abducted has not been rebuilt.

“We are hoping with the change mantra of this government the situation will change. As of the last count, the number of parents that have died is 14, but it could have increased by now.”

Thursday marks the second anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok girls, and the Bringbackourgirls advocacy group has consistently demanded their rescue.