On April 14, 234 Nigerian school girls were kidnapped from Chibok School by an Islamist militant group called Boko Haram. Founded in 2002, Boko Haram means “Western education is sinful,” this group of people have a strong opposition to anything western because they think western perspectives is corrupting Muslims.
Boko Haram, sometimes referred to as the “Nigerian Taliban” has had a history of violent behavior from bombing military headquarters, freeing prisoners, and bombings at colleges in northern Nigeria.
The 234 girls were kidnapped from their school dorms at night and were allegedly sold as brides to Islamist militants for 2,000 Naira which is approximately $12. Parents are frustrated with the little involvement of the Nigerian government.
Relatives of the missing girls have released statements saying they want the government to use every mean possible to find their children.
“I think that this issue is all too common in African countries. I also think that it isn’t enough unbiased knowledge being dispersed through mass media” says Edward Musa, a junior at Morgan State University.
There has been growing support from celebrities, parents and college students to find the missing girls. Pictures with the hashtag, #BringBackOurGirls have been seen all over social media from the First Lady Michelle Obama to sororities and fraternities.
On May 7th at 12pm Students, faculty, and local news stations gathered in the academic quad and held a rally to spread the awareness of the kidnapping in Nigeria. During the rally a poem was recited by Tashauna Lee, and brief speeches from Chinedu Nworkeafor and Olakunle Fakiyesi, a member of the MSU Nigerian Alumni Association. At the end of the rally red, white, and black balloons were released into the sky to symbolize the 234 girls being freed from the kidnapping. Christine Atakora, who participated in the rally says, “This event was moving, informing, and heart-warming to know that everyone genuinely cares about a serious matter”
“I am happy that the rally happened. It shows that Morgan cares and that we can put apart our differences and stand-up for something bigger than us.” says Junior Class President-Elect Esther Aribilola. She goes on to say “Any of those girls could have easily been us. This hits close to home for me because I am Nigerian and it could’ve been me or my cousins.”
If you want to find a way to be involved or stay informed on the kidnapping go to Facebook.com and like the Bring Back Our Girls page. This page has information about the kidnapping, ways to spread awareness, and has open discussions with other people from other countries, states, and cities.
