#BringBackOurGirls protesters change meeting venue after attack

The new venue is in Maitama.

Campaigners demanding greater government action to free more than 200 girls abducted by extremist Boko Haram more than a month ago have changed the venue of their daily sit-in after coming under attack from pro-government protesters.

The meeting point was moved from Unity Fountain near the Trasncorp Hilton hotel, to Maitama Amusement Park, both in central Abuja.

The protesters were attacked on Wednesday at the Unity Fountain by a group calling on Boko Haram, instead of the government, to release the missing girls.

The group is said to be supported by the government.

The assailants fought with some of the protesters, broke their chairs and destroyed reporter’s cameras.

On Thursday, the #BrignBackOurGirls campaigners, led by a former education minister, Oby Ezekwesili, and civil rights activist, Jibrin Ibrahim, defied the attacks and held a symposium at Thisday Dome.

The National symposium, which was also called the Democracy day event adopted the theme “citizens, accountability and democracy”.

“We do not want to encourage anyone to divert our attention, to distract us and therefore we have peacefully relocated our spot to Maitama Amusement Gardens,” said Ms. Ezekwesili.

She said it was clear their attackers sought to provoke the protesters to fracas.

“It is very clear that the objective of the group that has taken over the Unity Fountain is to provoke us to a place of a fracas and we are determined that the Bringbackourgirls Abuja family citizens advocacy group will not engage in any confrontation with anybody”

#BringBackOurGirls protesters change meeting venue after attack

Direct Your Protest To Terrorists – Jonathan

 

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday urged those who have been protesting the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, to henceforth direct their protest to the Boko Haram terrorists and not the government.

The President also urged the protesters to learn from citizens of other countries who do not blame their governments for any terrorist act.

He has however admitted publicly for the first time that his administration was currently consulting with some stakeholders with a view to exploring what he called alternative methods of resolving the present crisis.

Jonathan made the disclosure in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide, to a team of #BringBackOurGirls campaigners, led by a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwezili.

The protesters, who had planned to take their protest to the Presidential Villa where they wanted Jonathan to address them were restricted by security agents to the Federal Secretariat within the Three Arms Zone, a few metres from the Villa gate.

Those who joined Akinjide in the delegation that represented Jonathan at the rally included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed; Minister of Information, Labaran Maku; Minister of Women Affairs, Zaynab Maina; and Minister of Environment, Lawrencia Laraba.

Others were the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, Sarah Jubiril; Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati; and the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, among others.

Jonathan, in the speech, said his administration was working hard, in conjunction with the international community, to rescue the abducted girls and end terrorism.

He said it was wrong and unfair to say that there was a slow response to the abduction.

He said, “It is wrong and most unfair to suggest that there was a slow reaction to this kidnapping. As Commander-in-Chief, Mr. President meets with the security chiefs almost daily and he is on constant consultation with regional and global partners on this terrorists’ threat.

“We must be careful not to politicise the campaign against terrorism. When a bomb goes off in Kabul, Afghanistan, the people of Afghanistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.

“When a bomb goes off in Bagdad, Iraq, the people of Iraq do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.

“When a bomb goes off in Islamabad, Pakistan, the people of Pakistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.

“When a bomb goes off in Nigeria, we must all unite to fight the terrorists.”

Direct Your Protest To Terrorists – Jonathan

Protesters Storm Ghanaian Mission Over Killing Of Nigerian Student

Protesters from some non- governmental organisations (NGOs) in Nigeria have stormed the premises of the Ghanaian Mission, at Oba Akinjobi Crescent, in Ikeja area of Lagos State, yesterday, over the killing of a Nigerian student of Cape Coast University, Ghana.

The 19 -year-old student, Godwin Ayogu Chukwudi was said to have been killed by his roommates and other collaborators who allegedly dispossessed him of his $4,600 school fees on February 19, 2014.

The protest organised by Paths Of Peace Initiatives in conjunction with Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) and other bodies was to ensure that justice was done and the perpetrators of the dastardly act brought to book.

The petition from Paths Of Peace Initiatives which was signed by its president, Dandy Eze was dated March 18, 2014, and entitled, “Re: The killing and slow investigation in the case of Godwin Ayogu Chukwudi, a student of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana”.

The letter stipulated that the perpetrators suspected that Chukwudi who wanted to return to his country, Nigeria on the fateful day would reveal the gang that dispossessed him of the cash decided to kill him.

“Since then the Ghanaian police in support of the University authority have failed to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act, even when they know the perpetrators and their accomplice. It should be noted that since the killing was reported to the police no arrest has been made by the police”.

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Protesters Storm Ghanaian Mission Over Killing Of Nigerian Student