The group said failure to comply with the demand would result in legal action against the Borno State Government, and all its officials who participated in the alleged forced marriages.
The Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA) and #BringBackOurGirls Movement have called on the Nigerian Government and Borno State Government to release the rescued Chibok ‘girls’ in their custody to their families and not to any terrorists in the name of marriage.
The group said failure to comply with the demand would result in legal action against the Borno State Government, and all its officials who participated in the alleged forced marriages.
The groups stated this on Sunday in Abuja during a press conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls.
Speaking on behalf of the association, its National President, Dauda Ndirpaya Iliya described the action of the Borno State Government as holding the girls in another captivity in Maiduguri in the name of rehabilitation and reintegration process.
It described it as illegal and unacceptable.
He said the decision to restrict them to Maiduguri and not allow them the freedom to return to Chibok whenever they wish or see their parents is undemocratic and uncalled for.
Iliya expressed disappointment with the decision by the government to unilaterally arrange “marriage” between the freed kidnap victims and the so-called “repentant terrorists” without the consent of their parents.
He also demanded a rebuttal and apology to all the families and the community for the “illegal cohabitation and for calling the terrorists ‘husbands’ of our daughters”.
He said, “Our demands on the Borno State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria on this occasion of the tenth-year commemoration of the abduction of our daughters, we strongly challenge governments at all levels: federal, state and the local council to work towards bringing a closure (one way or the other) to this fiasco.
“To do nothing as it now seems for the past decade is completely unacceptable and we make the following additional demands on our governments:
“Urgent release of the rescued Chibok girls in the custody of Borno state government to their families and not to any terrorist that was in the first place their abductors. The girls’ consent and that of their parents/guardians were not sought before they were abducted, as such their consent must not be sought before delivering them to their parents and their communities.
“A formal rebuttal and apology to all the families and the community for the illegal cohabitation and calling the terrorists “husbands” of our daughters. Failure to do so may result in legal action against the Borno State Government, and all its officials who have used this insulting and demeaning terminology.
“Avail all our rescued daughters, at home and in school for any organization or group that wants to support them. Anyone who needs to talk to the media, wherever they are must be allowed access always without let or hindrance.
“Upgrade the Chibok Senior Secondary School for better access and support; the so-called “rebuilt” school is worse than it was before the abduction. All the former buildings were scrapped, and the new ones were not even as conducive as the former.
“The Chibok schools must be transformed into something better than what they were, equipped enough to show that there is seriousness in countering the narratives of the Boko Haram by providing conducive educational institutions.
“Immediate disclosure of all the names of the daughters reported to be dead as witnessed and established by their classmates and friends while in captivity. Two of the parents have since gotten the news of the passing of their daughters and have brought closure on their own. The parents and the community leadership want this position taken immediately rather than the endless and hopeless waiting.
“Our rescued daughters and some parents already have phone contacts and are in communication with some of the unaccounted girls – The leader of the parents’ association and some of the parents involved know this. The security agencies must do due diligence in collaboration with relevant experts to get to release them as quickly as possible.
“The specialized education fund for the Chibok girls domiciled at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs should be investigated immediately.
“Also, investigation of other sources of funding for our daughters’ scholarships without details etc., because some are getting calls from abroad by families that are said to be their sponsors. We also want to know who these sponsors are for the Kibaku community to document and appreciate them appropriately.
“Kibaku community should be opened up to everyone that wants to access it legally with no security threat to anyone and allow media, NGOs, and other well-spirited individuals that want to come in and support the schools, parents, or other IDPS staying within the camps and the host communities.
“We are presently under siege on the pretext of security protection while the Boko Haram continue to attack our towns and villages freely.
“For the umpteenth time, we demand the release of the General Sabo fact-finding committee report of 2014. That committee was charged with finding out the circumstances that made that rather sordid and infamous event possible.
“The committee indeed carried out its assignment, and submitted their report to the Federal Government but ten years on the Federal Government has not had the courage nor seen the overriding public interest need to make the report public while 82 of our Chibok school girls are still unaccounted for and 48 parents of these girls have since died.”
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