Nigeria and the World Has Failed Our Girls
Sadly, The Deadline Has Passed
I am a Nigerian girl. Yes. I was born in the United States, but my roots are deeply embedded in the sandy shores of Bar Beach, the mountainous terrains of Abuja, and the rolling hills of Enugu. I can’t start each day as if my heart isn’t tearing with the knowledge that “Our Girls” still remain at large. But I called it. On May 6, I wrote that our girls would not be brought back.
I am not proud, and I know many of you were taken aback at my swift declarations, however, as you can see, I wasn’t off the mark. Boko Haram, the violent sect responsible for the kidnapping of over 200 innocent girls in a boarding school situated in the Northern region of Chibok, is no longer trending. There are sprinkles of information here and there, mainly because of journalistic integrity, but at the end of the day, tragedy has transformed into normal.
It is expected for Nigerians to be tormented and left for dead. Our country has weathered enough storms nationally and globally, and most of you have adjusted to their patterns. Believe me, after twenty-three years in America, I can admit that I‘ve fallen into the trap of nonchalance and privileged gratitude. Thank God I am an American. I am not helplessly tied down to a system that works against me and threatens my daily existence. I don’t have to worry about taking a flight from one town to another, simply because greed consistently outweighs the safety of citizens. I don’t have to navigate sleepless nights for a daughter who is pursuing her education in a dangerous environment.
The girls that are still missing were quite young. We are talking an age range between twelve and fifteen. It is an unthinkable tragedy that is enjoying some level of exposure. Thank you by the way. Recently, actor/singer, Tyrese, gathered his troops in Los Angeles for a night of feisty chanting against President Goodluck Jonathan. It is surreal to witness the emergence of Nigeria, commanding global, elite attention. But unfortunately the hashtags, concerts, readings, protests, and even literary fanfare aren’t working.
We need to hush up.
I remember a couple of brave hearts that rose above the wreckage earlier on and explained why #BringBackOurGirls was doing the exact opposite of what we were pleading for. Abubakar Shekau is now a rock star. Fame is a drug, as we all know, and it fuels even more mayhem. Since his existence was unveiled, more violent attacks have been unleashed in Nigeria and neighboring territories. He has also adopted the mentality of his predecessors, including 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, by vowing to wreck havoc on the U.S. and mocking the “American Way.”
Shekau is a dangerous and worthy adversary. Ahmed Salkida, a journalist who is risking all for unrestrained access to the Boko Haram, described the temperament of the most wanted man in the world: “He is fearless. He hardly speaks. He is intense, quiet, and bookish . . . He also prefers a more minimalistic approach to living.” He sounds like the kind of guy I would date, but he’s a murderous maniac, who has perfected the ability to translate the Koran in ways that feed his destructive mission.
The girls are still missing. Media coverage has dwindled to side notes and random interviews with experts. The U.S. military, at the behest of our president, has been scouring the jungle hoping for a break.
I am here once again to confirm that those girls are lost forever.
The very worst has transpired and now all we can do is pray for the families that are left behind. Very recently, in Abuja, the nation’s capital, a group of fearless women gathered to protest against the government that allowed this to happen. Joseph Mbu, a government official, quashed their efforts. His reasoning was senseless. He claimed that the entire ruckus was a breach of security for the innocent citizens dwelling in the area.
If you are remotely familiar with the climate that has held key regions of Nigeria hostage for over five years, you will definitely find Mbu’s statement (“I can’t fold my hands and watch this lawlessness”) ridiculous. All of a sudden our leaders care about raised voices, all in the name of securing the safe return of brutally abducted children? Yes, they do care. They care very much, because they know that it is unprecedented for Nigerians, particularly Nigerian women, to gather in the name of change, resoundingly demanding their elected heads to fess up and own the fact that they let their people down.
Actually the government fucked us up. They were warned that an attack was imminent way in advance, but nothing was done to ensure that those girls would at least stand a chance. The deployed soldiers were too meek to defend the weary, and the school directors did absolutely nothing to guarantee the safety of their students. The United States logged in Abubakar Shekau as a terrorist back in 2012, but that was just a prelude to the orchestrated disaster that has so far done a ton for Twitter and very little for Our Girls.
I was once an Obama fan, but I am not so sure anymore. The loss of those girls has given me a bird’s eye view of what global policing is really about. As the weeks go by and the months accumulate, I am keenly aware that the girls’ fight for survival vanished a long time ago. While the situation is sad and worthy of mourning, I have to remember to save some of my anguish for the future victims on the horizon.
I said it, but I still can’t swallow the fact that Nigeria did not bring back those missing girls.
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