Barrister Aisha Wakil and two others were
recently declared wanted by the Nigerian Army over alleged link with
terrorist group, Boko Haram. In an exclusive interview in Maiduguri,
Aisha Wakil who was nicknamed 'Mama Boko Haram' by locals said the
protests which followed the abduction of over 200 girls from Government
Secondary School Chibok, Borno state led to their delayed release.
According to her, Boko Haram members expressed dissatisfaction over the
inability of the world to organise similar protests for other girls who
were kidnapped. Barrister Wakil said over thirty abducted Chibok girls
were released sequel to a call she put through to the leadership of the
Boko Haram sect.
"When I found out that they were responsible, I ordered them to start releasing the girls to go and write their exams. "Over thirty of them were released, some escaped, some were killed while they held back others," she said.
"It did not take long, then the noise started 'Chibok girls, Chibok girls.' So they called me to ask if Chibok girls have become gold and diamond. And they decided that they won’t release anyone. The protest was so much!
"They told me ‘Mama, we saw Obama’s wife on television with #BringBackOurGirls placard.’ When the noise became too loud, they became bold and said they would not release them. They began to call the girls ‘Our golden Chibok girls.’ "The other day, Shekau said in a video that they are shouting ‘Chibok girls, Chibok girls,’ how about the others that were kidnapped? Are they not human beings? So they (Boko Haram) now give them special treatment so that they would mix up with other girls in the bush.
"If only everybody kept quiet and just see them the same way others were kidnapped, they would have been back a long time ago," she added.
Wakil, a staff of the National Human Rights Commission also expressed the sect's willingness to release the schoolgirls. She urged the federal government to engage Nigerians who are close to the Boko Haram sect towards securing their release.
Video Here
"When I found out that they were responsible, I ordered them to start releasing the girls to go and write their exams. "Over thirty of them were released, some escaped, some were killed while they held back others," she said.
"It did not take long, then the noise started 'Chibok girls, Chibok girls.' So they called me to ask if Chibok girls have become gold and diamond. And they decided that they won’t release anyone. The protest was so much!
"They told me ‘Mama, we saw Obama’s wife on television with #BringBackOurGirls placard.’ When the noise became too loud, they became bold and said they would not release them. They began to call the girls ‘Our golden Chibok girls.’ "The other day, Shekau said in a video that they are shouting ‘Chibok girls, Chibok girls,’ how about the others that were kidnapped? Are they not human beings? So they (Boko Haram) now give them special treatment so that they would mix up with other girls in the bush.
"If only everybody kept quiet and just see them the same way others were kidnapped, they would have been back a long time ago," she added.
Wakil, a staff of the National Human Rights Commission also expressed the sect's willingness to release the schoolgirls. She urged the federal government to engage Nigerians who are close to the Boko Haram sect towards securing their release.
Video Here