Police Stop Bring Back Our Girls 1000 Day March To Presidential Villa.

There was heavy security yesterday blocking the entrance to the Presidential Villa, along Shehu Shagari road, opposite the Head of Service complex, Three Arms zone to prevent members of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement from marching to the seat of power. The event by BBOG was to mark the 1000 days of the abducted 219 Chibok Secondary School girls by the Boko Haram terrorists in April 24, 2014.

By placing two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) along the road, the police diverted traffic from going through to Louis Edet Police Headquarters road as part of measure to curtail the massive crowd. The crowd was led by a former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, took off from the Unity Fountain, venue of their daily sit out with pictures of the abducted girls and were escorted by armed policemen.

They were however stopped by a combined team of anti-riot policemen and women led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Abiodun Alamutu, who told them that the Presidential Villa is a restricted area which they cannot be allowed into.

While explaining to the BBOG members who were not as many as was in previous marches, ACP Alamutu said the Police would help to facilitate a meeting with the Presidency since a formal letter was earlier written to the Villa. “Your concerns about the girls is everyone’s concern, but Villa is a restricted area for now. Give us till tomorrow and let’s see how we can facilitate the meeting” he said.

Co-convener of BBOG, Aisha Yesufu read the march message, saying that the Buhari administration’s response to issues about the Chibok girls was representative of its handling of other issues: insecurity, welfare of internally displaced persons, military welfare, corruption and poor governance.

The message reads:
“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 here 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 Chibok Girls 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.”

Following the event, President Buhari has pledged to to help in the issue.