Tears flowed freely on Friday as President Muhammadu
Buhari; his wife, Aisha; and the wife of the Vice-President,
Dolapo Osinbajo, met with two women whose daughters are
among the over 200 schoolgirls abducted last year by
members of the Boko Haram sect in Chibok, Borno State.
The emotional-laden encounter took place inside the Defence
House, Abuja, where Buhari currently operates from.
Mrs. Osinbajo had earlier led the two women to a meeting
with Hajia Buhari, who later led them into another round of
meeting with Buhari.
By the time they emerged from the meeting and posed for
photographs, the two women again broke down in tears while
Mrs. Buhari held them tightly.
Mrs. Osinbajo also joined in the weeping.
The Vice-President’s wife, with misty eyes, later told
journalists what transpired during the two separate meetings.
She said, “Hajia Aisha Buhari had for many months wanted to
visit Chibok. She also wanted to meet with the mothers.
“Today, we had an opportunity for them to meet face-to-face.
We had two of the mothers who still have their daughters
missing after a year.
“Hajia met with them, held them and they cried, everybody
cried. What only a mother will do is to say ‘wait, I want you
to see your father and see what your father will do.’
“We were all overwhelmed that at this time when the
President is so busy, he had time to meet with the women
from Chibok.
“He spoke to them in English and Hausa. He explained to
them how he keeps telling everybody to put themselves in
their place.
“So, today we have had the opportunity for the President and
Hajia to show that they are our father and mother, for that we
are glad.”
Shortly after the photo session, security men quickly whisked
the weeping mothers away.
It will, however, be recalled that all efforts to rescue the
schoolgirls them abducted over a year ago have yet to yield
any result.