Nigerians Are Mad at Buhari For Arriving On a Red Carpet When Visiting the Families of the Missing Dapchi Girls
The president visited the site where 110 schoolgirls were abducted on Wednesday, but his visit provided little reassurance.
It has been nearly a month since 110 schoolgirls, were abducted by Boko Haram at a boarding school in Dapchi, Nigeria—located in the northeastern state of Yobe.
President Buhari made a long-overdue visit to the state yesterday to meet with the girls' families, promising them that the country "will not rest" until the girls are returned home safely," reports CNN. "We have re-equipped our armed forces, security and intelligence services," said the president during his speech, before assuring families that "any agency, person or group found to have been negligent or culpable" would face punishment.
"The government, under my watch, will continue to maintain normalcy and ensure that incidents of this nature are stopped," he continued.
Nigerians are not convinced.
Buhari—who is often criticized for his failure to act speedily in times of crisis—arrived at the Government Girls Science Technical College in Dapchi, about 24 days after the incident took place, with 6 helicopters, a government entourage and a full military crew—even rolling out a red carpet to walk on upon his arrival.
His appearance did more to anger families than to comfort them. Several parents told BBC Africa, that they were not reassured by the president's words, and remain disappointed by his lack of action in dealing with the matter. According to the publication, one mother called him out directly, asking where the soldiers he had traveled with were when her daughter was kidnapped.
Nigerians on social media have also expressed anger at the president's actions, many comments focusing particularly on his decision to arrive on a red carpet.
