The Boko Haram’s abduction of nearly 300 young girls from a Nigerian school has brought worldwide attention to the African nation.
Christian Paradis, Canada’s International Development Minister, is in Nigeria where he personally delivered an offer of military surveillance equipment and personnel to assist in the Nigerian government’s effort to locate the missing girls.
Michael Osmond, the president of the Nigerian Canadian Association of Calgary, says most Nigerians are sickened by the spread of terror in the African country.
“Terrorism, as the case may be, is not our way of life in Nigeria,” said Osmond. “We all condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”
“We are saddened by the events taking place in the northeastern part of our husband.
Nigerian Adebola Esan and her husband relocated their family of five to Calgary in 2006 following four years of living in Holland.
Adebola says the current issues plaguing sections of northern Nigeria have been fueled by an intolerance which was not prevalent when she attended university in the northern city of Kano.
“Then and now is different,” said Adebola, who left Nigeria in 2002. “I don’t know who’s breeding this set of people right now. It’s different from when I was growing up.”
“(It’s) extremely sad,” “It used to be a peaceful country. It’s a beautiful place. There’s a fear in a lot of people right now. Everybody’s fearful, you don’t know who’s who. The Boko Haram they’ve spread all over.”
“Everybody’s scared. They don’t know who to talk to or what is really going on.”
Adebola, who owns an African restaurant in NW Calgary, is disheartened by the media’s negative portrayal of her homeland because of the actions of a terrorist group.
“I think we can liken them (the Boko Haram) to Al Qaeda, they’re the Muslim extremists in Nigeria.”
“Nigeria is still a good place,” maintains Adebola. “Just like all over the place we have bad people, so I won’t say Nigeria is perfect. Nigeria is going through a crisis but my belief is that we will get past this and we will get back to the Nigeria I used to know. The Nigeria which welcomes everybody, the Nigeria where everybody is free and you don’t have to be afraid of your next door neighbour.”
Calgary’s Nigerian community and members of Social Action will gather in Tomkins Park (17 Ave. & 8 St. S.W.) on Friday at noon to bring local awareness to the plight of the girls who have not been heard from in three weeks. The rally is part of the worldwide Bring Our Back Girls movement.
