LAGOS
Nigerians on Tuesday marked Children's Day without the usual fanfare, with many schools and parents showing solidarity with the families of schoolgirls abducted last month by Boko Haram militants in the insurgency-wracked northeastern Borno State.
The usual children's parade gave way to gatherings in which citizens – young and old, many carrying placards bearing the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls – prayed for the safe return of the girls from the town of Chibok.
In capital Abuja, the #bringbackourgirls movement maintained its sit-in at Unity Fountain, with speaker after speaker calling on the government to do more to secure the girls' safe return.
"I so want to believe our federal government on their effort to #bringbackourgirls, but contradiction between their word and action makes it hard," said movement leader and former education minister Oby Ezekwezili.
Nigerians are united about dedicating this year's Children's Day to showing solidarity with the abducted girls and their families in the northeast.
An all-woman interfaith rally was held in commercial capital Lagos to pray for the girls' release.
It was organized by the Women for Peace and Justice movement, in conjunction with the Fatima Tinubu Foundation.
"Last year, these innocent girls were with their parents celebrating Children's Day," said Tinubu, who is Iyalode of Lagos, a traditional title given to distinguished local women.
"This year, however, they are not here with us. They have been abducted, and all of us are gripped with anxiety," she added. "We pray for their safe return."
Other prominent Nigerians also identified with the abducted girls.
"Today is Children's Day in Nigeria, but there is no stronger Children's Day message than #Bringbackourgirls," Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria's former vice president, said via Twitter.
"Nigerians should send their prayers and our army must make haste to bring them [the girls] home," he added.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a ranking federal lawmaker, also joined the fray.
"As we use this special day to appreciate our children, let us remember to yet again pray for the safe return of our girls," she said.
On Monday, Nigerian defense chief Alex Badeh said the military knew the girls' location, but ruled out the use of force to rescue them for fear that they might be harmed by their captors.
By Rafiu Ajakaye
www.aa.com.tr/en
