Pakistani girl-child education campaigner, Malala Yousafzai, who came into world limelight after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban group in Pakistan is in Nigeria to voice her support for the over 200 kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.
Her visit to Nigeria is to commemorate the Malala Day which was set aside by the United Nations as part of her birthday celebration.
In her speech, Malala told the Boko Haram sect to stop using the name of Islam to perpetrate evil as Islam is a religion that preaches peace, urging them to release the kidnapped girls because they have committed no crime.
Narrating the outcome of her meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, the 17 -year activist noted that as the president of this country, Jonathan must take responsibility for the rescue of the Chibok girls and ensure that the schoolgirls are returned safely and fast as their continued stay in the hands of the terrorists is no longer acceptable.
The president reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring the safe and proper education of all Nigerian children, adding that the federal government is doing everything possible to ensure that the girls were rescued alive and safely returned to their parents as he feels pain and anguish of the parents.
Malala announced the donation of $200,000 from her foundation for the education of the Chibok schoolgirls, whom she called her “sisters”, saying that education is the right of every child no matter the circumstances.
Her visit to Nigeria to push for the release of the abducted Chibok girls has brought back hopes of the parents, who expressed their appreciation for the visit.
Bura Momodu, a father of one of the girls said: “The visit of Malala has given us new courage. If you look at the way she escaped we also hope we will see our daughters again one day”.
Malala blowing her birthday candle with some escaped Chibok girls
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