TheCable

John Onaiyekan, a cardinal and Catholic archbishop of Abuja diocese, says the federal government needs to step up its efforts to rescue the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.

He said having cleared Sambisa forest, the government should have made headway in the rescue of the abducted girls.

Onaiyekan said this on Tuesday during a solidarity march organised by the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement as part of its campaign for the release of the girls.

The movement is commemorating the three years anniversary of the continued captivity of the girls.

“The families of the girls are still languishing and we think there is need to bring attention to that. We are told that the Sambisa forest has been cleared totally. So the question we are asking today is where are our girls,” he said.

“Government should do more to release the girls and to also address the issue of kidnapping in our country.”

Also speaking during the march was Sheik Muhammad Khalid, chief Imam of the national assembly quarters’ mosque.

The imam said Boko Haram would have “relatively” won the war if the Chibok girls are not rescued.

“We can never allow the terrorists to have their way. If they get free with those girls, then they have relatively won the war. We want more actions from our government. The soul of all Nigerians are important,” he said.

“Today’s match adds a new angle to the series of similar ones that has been ongoing since Saturday, April 8, 2017. This is because it features the face of Nigeria’s two major religions.”

The Chibok schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14, 2014, in Borno state.

So far, only 21 of them have been released while 57 have successfully escaped. 195 of them, however, remain in captivity.