President of the Kibaku Youth Association of Nigeria Mr. Moses Zakwa, talks to ARUKAINO UMUKORO about the kidnap
Your group recently held a protest against the abduction of the schoolgirls.
Yes, Kibaku is the tribe of the Chibok people and Kibaku is 100 per cent in Chibok. Kibaku is predominantly in two local governments and other communities like Damboa.
There are different versions about the girls’ whereabouts. What have you heard?
There are a lot of rumours flying around, but at this moment, the average Chibok man believes that those girls are still in Sambisa forest. Some of the rumours are that they have been moved, divided into groups and married off, but we will not believe that until government clears the forest. Let it be free so that cars can pass through it, then we will believe that our daughters are no longer there.
How would you describe Sambisa forest?
The Sambisa forest is southward of Chibok. It is in-between Damboa, Chibok and Goza. The Sambisa forest is within the Goza community, which is a very large one. What we are saying is that the Sambisa forest is in Nigeria. The military does not need a satellite to trace the forest. They know where it is. I believe those girls that escaped from the forest would know more about the area. The military can get clues from them. Moreover, parents and relations of the girls mobilised themselves in very large groups to go to the forest. The community people close to the forest advised them to turn back. Why is the government dragging its foot on this matter?
Do you have any relatives among the missing girls?
I have a cousin among the missing girls. I also know many of the missing girls. The government has failed in protecting these children. There was an attack on the college at Buni Yadi, Yobe State; with that incident, government should have beefed up security around all the schools. Before the attack, Chibok had 95 soldiers deployed in the community, but they withdrew about 75 the day before the attack.
Are you sure about this?
Yes, I am sure. I don’t know the reason why they did that. The reasons are best known to them. The only way they can save face is by rescuing our girls. To me, the government has failed. It’s been over 17 days now and nothing has happened. All we at Chibok are saying is that the government should wake up from their sleep and live up to their responsibility. They should imagine if it were their children that are missing. In 2011, the government promised us during election campaign that they were going to protect our lives and property and we believed them.
How large is Chibok?
Chibok has a population of about 18,000. It is a predominantly Christian population, with about 80 per cent Christians.
How do you feel about the incident?
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