The Catholic Arch Bishop Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Chief Iman of Apo Leguslators’ Quarter’s Mosque, Sheik Nura Khalid joined the members of the #BringBackOurGirls(BBOG) to commemorate the 500 days the over 200 girls where abducted by Boko Haram sect in their dormitory at the Government Secondary School Chibok, Borno State, April 14, 2014.
Speaking during the commemoration, Cardinal Onaiyekan expressed sadness that the 219 abducted girls were still in the hands of their captors even after 500 days and expressed hope that the 500 days will be a symbolic catalyst to move Nigerians community into recognising the serious problem on its hands and finding a solution to the problem.
“I have always identify with this group. That is the reason I came this day we are commomorating the 500 days they Chibok girls were abducted. This is a serious matter. Our girls taken from us. I am here because I am worried about the girls whose condition we don’t even know. We don’t even know what state they are in and it is painful,” he said.
Onaiyekan called on Nigerians to understand the magnitude of the issue of the abduction and pray for the safe return of the abducted girls.
“I thought that this whole place will be congested but I was terribly disappointed, this whole thing doesn’t seem to hit the hearts of Nigerians unless we are lucky that the media carries it tonight and amplify it so the country hears that something happened here today. This morning when I woke up, I did not have the plans of coming, I was about going to take my bath when a phone call came from Rome, the radio Vatican on the 500 days remembrance of the Chikok girls and I was ashamed to say that I have not seen too much around and I told him that their was going to be a march today and by the grace of God, I was going to be there, so having made the promise to the radio Vatican and to the world it will be a mortal sin not to keep my promise.
“I was telling them on the radio Vatican that I hope that the 500 days will be a symbolic catalyst to move Nigerians community into recognising we have a serious problem, my heart bleeds for the young ladies, the fact that they called me from Rome means that they have not forgotten, it is we that have forgotten,” he said.
Also speaking, Sheik Khalid stated that his presence in the commemoration was to tell the world that the muslims faithful were always ready to unite with their Christian brothers and sisters to fight for the soul of the country.
“I want to tell the world that we the muslims are always ready to unite with our Christian brothers and sisters to fight for the soul of Nigeria, I want to challenge all the Imams that we should use our purpose to fight for the freedom of the Chibok girls, we must tell the world that Boko Haram will never succeed and they are not winning and Nigeria will win this battle, we are peace lovers, we are peace workers and we shall die as peace workers.
Ref: http://leadership.ng/news/456893/day-500-onaiyekan-sheik-khalid-join-in-commemoration-of-chibok-girls-abduction
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