Dapchi Girls: Mrs. Saraki Calls For Citizen Engagement & Increased Vigilance To Combat Forced Abductions

The Wife of the Senate President and Chair, Forum of Senators’ Wives,
Her Excellency, Mrs. Toyin Saraki has emphasized the need for Nigerians
to be more vigilant and mindful of activities happening around their
communities.

“Nigerians never expected that another abduction could happen again in
the country, given the lessons learnt with the Chibok girls.”

“No one ever actually believed that we will still see another forcible
abduction again in the country after all the sufferings, tears,
lamentations and efforts taken to rescue some of the Chibok girls. It is
very hard to describe how I feel as a woman and mother about the
development.”

Responding to questions posed by newsmen on the recently reported
abduction of 110 girls from a school at Dapchi, Yobe State, at a post
courtesy call press parley at Kwara State House of Assembly, Ilorin,
Mrs. Saraki continued:

“I want to recall what my husband the Senate President has said that
“every head must be counted and accounted for” – and with Nigeria having
registered some success by the release of some Chibok girls, it gives me
the hope that we will get back the Dapchi girls and reunite them with
their families.”

“I want to ask every Nigerian to be vigilant. If you notice that there
are strange faces in your community that were not there before, or
somebody is buying much more food than they buy normally, or you notice
somebody sewing much more clothing material than they sew normally,
please contact the security authorities, as somebody, somewhere, is
catering for the needs of 110 more girls than they do normally. The
sooner we can find them, get them back, the better for our humanity”,
she added.

Mrs. Saraki has been a consistent advocate for improved Civil
Registrations and Vital Statistics through health enhanced certifiable
identity data capture such as the Personal Maternal and Child Health
Records developed by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa.