“We are shocked, perplexed and completely dumbfounded to see the bold inscription of our hard-earned name, #BringBackOurGirls, on the event’s backdrop,”
The BringBackOurGirls movement has distanced itself from an event tagged “Official Inauguration and Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Chibok Girls Endowment Project,” and demanded an immediate retraction and unreserved apology from the organizers.
“We are shocked, perplexed and completely dumbfounded to see the bold inscription of our hard-earned name, #BringBackOurGirls, on the event’s backdrop,” it said in a statement on Monday signed by Aisha Yesufu and Oby Ezekwesili. “We state categorically that we are not a party to the said event and have absolutely no information about its origin.”
It urged public to disregard attempts at linking the movement with what it described as “this highly suspicious event,” being organized by the “Peace Corps of Nigeria” and “Africa Support and Empowerment Initiative”, with Hadiza Buhari-Bello.
“After 902 days of painstaking advocacy, it is disheartening and unfortunate to suddenly see attempts, by external actors, to use it for selfish purposes,” #BringBackOurGirls said. “We have carefully built our reputation as a well-organized and disciplined global movement that is completely self-funded.”
It pointed out that the deliberate decision to remain funded by sacrificial contributions of members for its very negligible needs, is the reason #BringBackOurGirls is solely a Citizens’ Movement and not an NGO, adding that it will be highly injurious to allow it be dragged in the mud at this point.
“Together with our lawyers, Femi Falana & Co., we are considering a response to this attempt to smear our movement,” the movement said. “We call on the general public and law enforcement agencies to be on the look-out for unscrupulous persons who may already be/are planning similar nefarious acts to deceive the local and international community.”
