Women in the Alausa area of Lagos state on Wednesday staged a protest against the menace of rape, abduction, forced marriages, Boko Haram terrorists’ activities, Fulani herdsmen among others.
The women called on the Federal Government to deliver their innocent children from the hands of the various terrorist groups whose activities of kidnapping, conscription, bombing, forced marriage, are ravaging the country.
In their hundreds and bearing placards with various inscriptions such as “Enough is enough;” “We want food not blood;” “We are tired of bloodshed;” “Give Buhari a chance to change Nigeria for good;” “Stop killing, abducting and raping our children;” “Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen stop forcing our daughters into marriage,” among others, the aggrieved women caused a major gridlock in the area.
The protesting mothers led by the Executive Director, Africa Arise for Change Network, Mrs. Comfort Solape, said no fewer than 1,000 female children have been raped by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen in the country, this year alone.
Solape declared their support for President Muhamadu Buhari, and charged the nation’s security agencies to get rid of terrorism in the country by all means necessary.
Speaking to newsmen, Solape said, “It will be callous and irresponsible for any reasonable mother in Nigeria to keep quiet and pretend that we can afford to bear the agony of deaths and bombing in the hands of another group called the Shiite that have been terrorizing people in Kaduna of late.
“They must be prosecuted now.
“We thank you for taking out time to join this Peaceful Freedom Walk organised by the Africa Arise for Change Network.
“As concerned mothers of the nation, we called for the walk to draw the attention of our father, President Muhammadu Buhari and other senior government officials to the worrisome state of insecurity that we now live with.
“It is worrisome for us that not enough is being done to proactively address what we see as a growing threat.
“Just last week here, armed gunmen stormed a school in Ikorodu and abducted three female pupils in broad daylight. The abduction took place right here in Lagos, not some remote community in areas affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
“This development has left all parents, especially mothers in pains as they are no longer certain of what can befall their beloved children while in school.
“Within a few days of the girls’ abduction, hell was let loose in Mile 12 in an ethnic fueled riot that sadly led to the loss of lives and property.
“That such ethnic oriented strife could surface in Lagos speaks volume of how an era of intolerance rapidly crept upon us without us realizing it.
“We condemn the Mile 12 riots in the strongest terms possible and we urge all Nigerians to do same. Our thoughts are with families that lost loved ones and businesses to the senseless carnage.”
The Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade from Ikorodu State Constituency, addressed the protesters, promising to deliver their protest letter to the Speaker, Hon. Mudasiru Obasa for onward transmission to Mr. President.
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