March 8, 2018

A group, Coalition of Civil Society for the Girl Child and Women, in company of some parents of the abducted Dapchi school girls, on Thursday embarked on peaceful protest to the National Assembly.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protest was organised to lend a voice to the release of the abducted students of Government Science and Technical College Dapchi, Yobe State, on Feb.19.

The group urged the Lawmakers to investigate the abduction of the students, and take steps towards safeguarding the girl child as Nigeria join the rest of the world in marking the 2018 International Women’s Day (IWD).

Mr Ariyo Dare-Atoye, who spoke on behalf of the group, said the peaceful protest was a solemn march to remind leaders at all levels that a lot needs to be done to protect women.

”We are asking the National Assembly, to show leadership by urgently convening a special stakeholders summit to address the plight of women and the girl child, mostly in zones and areas prone to attacks.

”The National Assembly is also urged to conduct a powerful investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding how over a hundred girls were kidnapped without them being spotted or meeting any security check points.

`’We have decided to use the occasion of the 2018 International Women’s Day to further call for national reawakening and global action in support of the girl child and women in Nigeria”, he said.
One of the parents, Mr Yahaya Tarbutu, said two of his daughters Fatima and Amina were among the abducted girls.

He therefore urged that Government should take urgent steps towards the release of the girls.

”‘’Today makes it 17 days that our daughters have been taken away from us in Dapchi, and we do not know how many days more they will be spending in captivity.”

”We are not here to condemn the Federal Government and our security agencies, but to tell them that they need to do more to make sure our daughters are released.’’”

NAN reports that International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
It is a collective day of global celebration and a call for gender parity.