Ezekwesili: We’re being reminded of military era

Oby Ezekwesili, coordinator of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, has described the prevention of the group from accessing the presidential villa as a reminder of the‎ military era.

Addressing journalists shortly after the police stopped the protesters, Ezekwesili said the presidency had been notified of its procession to the villa gate, where the citizen movement was to deliver a message to the government.

She expressed surprise that the group was stopped, saying BBOG would deliver its message‎ on the road notwithstanding the barricade.

The campaigners held a commemorative session on the busy secretariat road, with no government representative to receive them.

‎Ezekwesili advised ‎the government not to consider granting amnesty to Boko Haram.

‎On the new video of the Chibok girls, the former minister of education urged the government to act fast now that there is proof that they are alive.

Earlier, ‎in a statement delivered by Aisha Yesufu, strategic leader of the movement, the group reminded President Muhammadu Buhari of his promise to rescue the girls on May 29, 2015.

“We cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage . . . This government will do all it can to rescue them alive,” the president was quoted to have said.

Members of the group were stonewalled by police officers on their way to the presidential villa‎.

They held the two-year commemorative session for the missing girls‎ on the road, causing traffic congestion.

The protesters had set out from the Unity Fountain in Abuja around 10:30am, but met a wall of police officers on the road leading to the villa.