To mark 1000 days since 276 schoolgirls were abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria, the Bring Back Our Girls Group will stage a series of protests within and outside the country.

The group in a statement on Friday said the protests which will hold in Abuja, Lagos, New York and Washington DC is scheduled to hold from Saturday, January 7 to Saturday, January 14.

The group accused the federal government of complacency since the release of 21 of the girls in October.

“Ten weeks ago when the 21 Chibok Girls returned, the Nigerian government said that based on their discussions, 83 more girls would return ‘soon’. Nothing has been said of them since that time. The BBOG Movement worries that the Nigerian government has, once again, relapsed to the same complacency, lethargy, and inertia that has been recurrent on this tragedy. What else explains the fact that despite all assurances that the release of another 83 Chibok Girls is being negotiated, there has been no further communication on the status of their release?

“We are doubly disappointed that the Federal Government contradicted itself by the recent declaration and celebration of the capture of Sambisa Forest as the end of the war. This action is contrary to the pledge that Mr. President and the military have made repeatedly that they would not declare victory without the rescue of our Chibok Girls and all other abducted victims of terrorist abduction. Sambisa’s ‘Camp Zero’ is the same stronghold in which the Federal Government stated that the girls were being held and the 21 released were from there. Should parents, communities, Nigerians and the world assume that the Federal Government has given up on the Chibok Girls and other abductees?

“As with the Jonathan administration, the Buhari administration’s response to issues about the Chibok girls is representative of its handling of other issues – insecurity, welfare of internally displaced persons, military welfare, corruption and poor governance.

“Painfully, #Day1000 of their tragic abduction is in two days and there has been no status report provided by the Federal Government. As such, we are constrained to resume our various activities to mark this tragic milestone, expecting Mr President to regard this#Day1000 milestone as an overdue time to bring this horrific saga to an end. We shall therefore carry out a series of activities for a period of one week to compel our Federal Government to accelerate the decision and actions necessary to bring back the rest of our ChibokGirls to an anxiously waiting nation. Our actions shall also serve to remind Nigerians and the international community about the continued state of insecurity in Nigeria.”

The protests will address issues such as the Internally Displaced Persons, Military welfare, corruption and poor governance, endangered education, Girl-child vulnerability, bad governance and insecurity.

Oludolapo Adelana

Dolapo is a writer and journalist who works with YNaija. He has interests in Christianity, politics and sports.