A
boy holds up a photo of his 19-year-old sister, Deborah Solomon, one of
the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants. Photograph: Chika
Oduah
Asabe Kwambura is getting tired of waiting. Sitting under a
young mango tree alongside the charred remains of her school, the
headteacher looks around nervously. It's not safe to be out here in one
of the most dangerous parts of north-eastern Nigeria,
but the government has promised to send a team to investigate the
kidnapping of more than 200 pupils from her school and she wants to
greet them in person.
"These are
our girls," she says. "They are from Chibok." She punctuates her words by pointing to the ground. "They are from here."
Around her are abandoned desks and burnt out classrooms destroyed when Boko Haram
militants stormed the Chibok government girls secondary school a month
ago, loading the girls into lorries and driving them away.
Kwambura's
face is drawn and tired. The kidnapping has left its mark on everyone
in this remote settlement, which has been living under a state of
emergency since Boko Haram stepped up its attacks more than a year ago.
Comments
Post a Comment