On this day 6 years ago, we woke up to 2 bomb blasts at a motor park/bus station in Nyanya. The strategic blasts occurred just before 7am when commuters were trying to make their way to their places of work. 100's died, 100's more were injured.
Boko Haram claimed responsibility.
Boko Haram claimed responsibility.
Later that night, while Abuja + the rest of the country reeled from that attack, Boko Haram rolled into Chibok & abducted 276 school girls from their dorm; would have been more but some girls jumped off the trucks. Today is the 6th anniversary; over 100 girls are still missing.
I remember the first ever #BringBackOurGirls march like it was yesterday... Standing at Unity Fountain with @AbangMercy and co, and beginning the march led by @obyezeks. Then it started drizzling, and folks started turning back.
"Are you salt? Are you salt?" Madam Oby asked.
"Are you salt? Are you salt?" Madam Oby asked.
All thoughts of turning back left our minds, and we trudged on. I remember the aide of a politician's wife who wanted to manhandle @_yemia for getting too close to his principal or something. Yemi ripped him a new one, and his principal apologised to her. It was still raining.
Some politicians showed up just to perform for the cameras. One of your faves, a renowned lawyer, met us back at Unity Fountain, from greeting people, started crying when the cameras were on him. Soon as he finished his interview, the tears dried, he got in his car and left.
I remember us shivering after that first march, we were so cold. We squeezed into @AbangMercy's blue picanto and headed to Iya Oyo, where the rain had messed up the entrance so bad we had to come down for her to drive in.
Some guy gave me his jacket there, I was shivering so bad.
Some guy gave me his jacket there, I was shivering so bad.
I remember attending meetings with @elnathan_john & sitting on the floor. I remember the frustration & rage we felt. I remember listening to the parents of the missing girls cry. I remember being dispersed from Unity Fountain with water trucks (don't know the actual name for it).
I 'moved away' from the movement after some months of volunteering but there are people who have consistently worked to ensure the world never forgets the #ChibokGirls - @rotexonline, @BukkyShonibare, @MKabrik, @FlorenceOzor, @AishaYesufu + @obyezeks. History will be kind to you.
6 years on - more girls (+ boys) have been kidnapped, more bombs have gone off (Banex Plaza in Wuse 2 was hit in June 2014), and from @GEJonathan (whose government denied the abduction) to @MBuhari, there has been more rhetoric than decisive action towards ending the insurgency.
