- As El-Zakzaky sues Army for N3bn
A video released by Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram appears to show some of the schoolgirls kidnapped two years ago from the town of Chibok.
The video, apparently filmed in December, was sent to the Nigerian government and shows 15 girls in black robes identifying themselves as pupils abducted from the school.
Some of those filmed have been identified by their parents.
It is the first footage of the girls to be seen since May 2014.
The kidnapping of the 276 girls triggered the global social media campaign #BringBackOurGirls, involving US first lady Michelle Obama and a host of celebrities.
But despite their efforts, most of the girls are still missing.
Meanwhile, hundreds of parents are due to hold a march in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to demand the government does more to find their daughters.
The BBC’s Martin Patience in Abuja says they blame the previous government for doing nothing when the abduction took place and now the current administration for failing to devote enough resources to the search.
Boko Haram militants attacked the government boarding school in Borno state on 14 April 2014, seizing the girls who had gone there to take exams.
Shortly afterwards they released a video of them and demanded a prisoner exchange.
Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls had converted to Islam and he threatened to force them into marriage with his fighters or sell them into slavery.
As the months passed, about 57 students managed to escape but at least 219 are still missing.
The latest video, apparently filmed on Christmas Day 2015 and now broadcast on CNN, shows the girls pleading with the Nigerian government to co-operate with militants on their release.
They said they were being treated well but wanted to be with their families.
Two mothers, Rifkatu Ayuba and Mary Ishaya, said they recognised their daughters in the video while a third mother, Yana Galang, identified five of the missing girls, Reuters reported.
They were shown the video at a screening organised by local officials in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state.
“They were definitely our daughters… all we want is for the government to bring back our girls,” said Mrs Galang.
Amnesty International says about 2,000 children have been abducted by Boko Haram since 2014. Many are used as sex slaves, fighters and even suicide bombers.
Although the militants are still launching attacks, the Nigerian army has made progress in its fight against them over the past year, our correspondent adds.
It has retaken towns and villages controlled by Boko Haram and has also freed hundreds of women and children held captive.
In the meantime, leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has sued the Nigerian Army and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, claiming the sum of N3 billion as general and aggravated damages for his illegal detention and violation of his fundamental rights.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, on Wednesday, one of the IMN’s counsel, Mr Festus Okoye, disclosed that when they met with the leader of the Shi’ite, he directed them to file a suit challenging his continued detention and violation of rights.
He said the leader of the movement had no faith in the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State government.
“His grouse was that the membership of the commission were mostly members that were antagonistic to the movement.
“The leader told us how can a person, who wrote a book against us and advocated that we should be killed and our schools destroyed, now be called upon to serve in a committee that will discuss the movement. How will that person be fair to the movement?” he queried.
It was based on his directive that the legal team decided to institute a suit against the Nigeria Army and the Chief of Army Staff before the Federal High Court in Abuja, on April 11.
Joined alongside the Army Chief as defendants in the suit are the Director-General State Security Service (SSS), Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the federation.
The suit is seeking an order to compel the above respondents jointly to pay their client the sum of N1billion as general damages and another N2 billion as aggravated damages for his illegal violation of his fundamental rights to life, dignity of his person, fair hearing, privacy and private property.
Meanwhile, the spiritual leader of the movement, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has reportedly lost his sight.
Speaking in a news conference in Kaduna, on Wednesday, one of his legal counsel, Mr Kyon Maxwell, disclosed that the leader of the Shi’ite had lost his left eye, while his right eye was severely damaged.
BBC with additional report from Tribune
