Chibok girls: Emotions run high at national prayers

By Maryam Garba Hassan.

Emotion ran high yesterday, at the national prayer session organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, where Muslims and Christian faithful gathered for the special prayer for the release of the over 200 school girls abducted by the Boko Haram sect almost two months ago.

The over 1,000 people at the event, representing the two major religious bodies in the country, various interfaith groups, school children and parents broke down in tears when female students from Government Science Secondary School, Tungan-Maje, Abuja prayed for the quick release of the abducted girls.

In her opening remarks, Minister of Women Hajiya Zainab Maina, said the objectives of the prayer session is to galvanise national support for peace and security, sustain the momentum and continued support for the release of the girls, to stimulate continued awareness of the need for all to contribute to ensure that terrorism is brought to an end in the country.

She said the actions of terrorists have destribalised Nigeria, adding that apart from directly traumatising Nigerians particularly, the present abduction has inflicted immense pain on the psyche of young female folks to the extent that they have become afraid of going to school.

Chief Imam of National Mosque, Malam Musa Mohammed, who also prayed for peace to return to the country and for the release of the school girls, applauded the ministry for organising the event, describing it as “apt’.

He said as human we are expected to seek for the intervention of our creator in whatever we do, especially in matters that is of national interest.

He expressed optimism in the prayer session saying it has united Nigerians irrespective of their religions and tribes adding that the prayer from the children at the event is a sign that the nations’ problem is coming to end.