Dapchi Girls: Our Daughters Must Not Be Used As Instruments Of Negotiation – Atiku

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned against allowing school girls to be used as instruments of negotiation with Boko Haram insurgents and other groups.

Atiku, who expressed joy in the return of the Dapchi school girls today, Wednesday, after four weeks of being kidnapped by Boko Haram from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State, cautioned: “we cannot continue to allow our daughters to be used as instruments of negotiation, subject to capture and release at the whim of any group.
“For the sake of our youth who embody the best of our tomorrow, we must confront this Frankenstein monster. Working together as a Nation we can and must bring an end to this. Not a day must be wasted in finding solutions. We must make it safe so our girls and women in every part of the country can study and flourish in peace.”

In a statement by his media office in Abuja today, Wednesday, Atiku is sure that with the return of the girls, some families who had been heartbroken will now have the tears wiped from their faces, as will other Nigerians who were distressed by the kidnappings.
“This is a moment of joy for all of us as a nation,” he said. “We may not all be in Dapchi at the moment but we are all celebrating with the families, the community and the entire Yobe State.”
Atiku, however, noted that the grief of the parents whose daughters weren’t returned would probably take on a new and more tormenting dimension, as they continue to wait and pray for their safe return.
“May God continue to strengthen and give them hope.”.
The former Vice President advised that a more permanent solution to the problem of kidnapping of girls from schools should be found, suggesting the immediate reassignment of 150,000 Nigerian police personnel to secure schools in volatile areas of the northeast.

“In addition, the government should look at redesigning schools to make them more secure from attack including the addition of safe rooms.” [myad]