GLOBAL PRAYER NETWORK: Chibok girls: Kidnapped schoolgirl found alive in Nigeria

Rabu, 18 Mei 2016

Chibok girls: Kidnapped schoolgirl found alive in Nigeria

She tells her mother, “God has made it possible for us to see each other again.”

By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST News Service, who was born in Nigeria

SAMBISA FOREST, NIGERIA (ANS – May 18, 2016) -- One of the missing Chibok schoolgirls has been found in alive Nigeria, the first to be rescued since their capture two years ago.

According to the BBC, Amina Ali Nkeki was found carrying a baby by an army-backed vigilante group on Tuesday (May 17, 2016) in the huge Sambisa Forest, close to the border with Cameroon.

“She was with a suspected member of the Boko Haram Islamist group,” said the BBC.

In all, 218 girls remain missing after their abduction by militants from the Nigerian terror group, Boko Haram, from a secondary school in north-east Nigeria in April 2014.

“Amina, now 19, was reportedly recognized by a civilian fighter of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), a vigilante group set up to help fight Boko Haram, and briefly reunited with her mother,” continued the BBC.

“The Nigerian military named the suspected Boko Haram fighter as Mohammed Hayatu. He said he was Amina's husband.

“He has been arrested and taken to the regional capital Maiduguri, along with Amina and her baby, for medical attention, the military said.”

Aboku Gaji, leader of the JTF in Chibok, revealed: “The moment this girl was discovered by our vigilantes, she was brought to my house. I instantly recognized her, and insisted we should take her to her parents.

“When we arrived at the house... I asked the mother to come and identify someone. The moment she saw her, she shouted her name: 'Amina, Amina!' She gave her the biggest hug ever, as if they were going to roll on the ground, we had to stabilize them.

“The mother called the attention of other relations to come out and see what is happening. The girl started comforting the mother, saying: ‘Please Mum, take it easy, relax. I never thought I would ever see you again, wipe your tears. God has made it possible for us to see each other again.’

“Afterwards, we had to make them understand that the girl would not be left in their care. She must be handed over to the authority.”

Hosea Abana Tsambido, the chairman of the Chibok community in the capital, Abuja, told the BBC that Amina had been found after venturing into the forest to search for firewood.

“She was saying… all the Chibok girls are still there in the Sambisa except six of them that have already died,” he said.

Michelle Obama with her sign for the Chibok girls

A huge Twitter campaign for the missing Chibok schoolgirls has gained momentum after Amina was found, and now people have taken to Twitter again to voice their joy and comments.

It got the support of celebrities from the US First Lady, Michelle Obama, to Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai and US chat show host Ellen DeGeneres, and #Bringbackourgirls has become one of the biggest social media campaigns ever.

Many around the world have now welcomed the news, and hope the other girls abducted by Boko Haram militants would soon be found.

Photo captions: 1 Amina was found with a four-month-old baby. Their faces have been digitally altered for their protection. (Sahara Reporters). 2) Some of the missing schoolgirls who have been forced to wear Islamic garb. 3) Michelle Obama in the White House with her sign. 4) Dan Wooding with his mother, Anne, shortly after his birth in Vom Christian Hospital, Nigeria, in December of 1940.

About the writer: Dan Wooding, 75, is an award-winning winning author, broadcaster and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for nearly 53 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren, who all live in the UK. Dan is the founder and international director of the ASSIST News Service (ANS), and the author or co-author of some 45 books. Dan has a radio show and two TV shows, all based in Southern California.