A rally in support of hundreds of Nigerian girls kidnapped by an Islamic insurgent group will be held in Vancouver this weekend.
276 girls are still missing after getting abducted from the Chibok Government Girls Secondary School on Apr. 14.
Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for the mass kidnapping of the girls.
Sam Oseghale with Nigeria Canada Development Association of British Columbia calls the kidnappings barbaric.
“It is not something we expect to happen in the modern age,” says Oseghale.
READ MORE: How Boko Haram kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls from Chibok
A father to two daughters himself, Oseghale says it is heartbreaking to know the girls are still missing.
“Nobody knows what they are passing through right now. It could be anybody’s sister, anybody’s daughter,” he says.
As the international community continues to pressure the Nigerian government to amp up the efforts to find the girls, the Canadian government announced it will provide surveillance equipment and expertise necessary to carry out the search.
Meanwhile, Oseghale says the local Nigerian community is in shock and feels helpless.
“The only thing we can do is create awareness about what is happening back home,” he says.
The Vancouver rally will take place at Robson Square at noon on Saturday.
With files from Nick Logan
- B.C. teen’s killer says new TV show about Reena Virk’s murder ‘disrespectful’
- Man accused of Victoria carjackings arrested a third time in as many days
- ‘If we stay with it, they will come’: Canucks sticking to game plan with series tied 1-1
- White Rock victim identified as police boost patrols after deadly stabbing
Comments