It’s been six month since Boko Haram kidnapped over 250 girls from their small town of from Chibok, Nigeria. In the days following the incident, Nigerian lawyer Ibrahim Abdullahi created the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag and launched a campaign that brought the tragedy to the attention of millions, including First Lady Michelle Obama.
Since then, momentum behind the movement has slowed down, much to Abdullahi’s frustration.
“Even before Ebola and Isis’s intensified activities, most of the world that stood with #BringBackOurGirls had moved on, “Abdullahi said in an interview with The Guardian, “But we here in Nigeria and a few others outside haven’t moved on.”
Since the abduction, only four girls are believed to have escaped Boko Haram, but the whereabouts of the rest are still unknown. “The campaign can be kept in the public eye by tweeting about it,” says Abdullahi. “We have been persistent. We have been tweeting about it every day.”
Asked what he thought should happen to bring back the girls, Abdullahi says, “There is need for a strong and committed leadership; to equip our military with the most modern weaponry to fight Boko Haram; for collaboration and cooperation between the federal and state governments on one hand and between Nigeria and it’s neighbors on the other; for technical assistance from the international community to our military; and finally to leave the door of negotiation with the insurgents open.”
Are you staying vigilant about #BringBackOurGirls?