Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has revealed how he ended the daily protests by the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement led by former minister Oby Ezekwesili in Abuja.
Mohammed made these remarks while speaking at the Spokespersons Summit in Abuja on Tuesday, sharing his experience as the government spokesperson during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The summit focused on the changing role of spokespersons in leadership communication.
Lai Mohammed explained that today’s spokespersons must be strategic, honest, and adaptable rather than just passing on information. He also said people now prefer facts and evidence gained from real experience over theoretical ideas.
The BBOG movement, fronted by Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu, was well known for their daily protests demanding the safe return of the 276 Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in April 2014 under the Goodluck Jonathan government. The protesters gathered in Abuja, dressed in red and white, drawing both national and international attention.
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Oby Ezekwesili and BBOG often criticized the Federal Government, saying not enough was being done to find the girls.
Lai Mohammed explained how he ended the protests, saying, “We realized a drastic step was needed to show the government’s commitment and change the story BBOG was telling the world.”
He recounted inviting the BBOG group and a Chibok community representative, Dr. Allen Manaseh, on a trip to see the military’s search efforts firsthand.
“At first, Dr. Ezekwesili hesitated but agreed on the condition that I fly on the same plane as her from Abuja to Yola,” Mohammed said. Originally, he was to take a smaller plane while BBOG and media would fly separately, but the small plane wasn’t big enough for everyone.
So, a larger military aircraft, a C-130 Hercules, was arranged. Lai Mohammed joined everyone on that flight to show goodwill and openness.
On January 16-17, 2017, Lai Mohammed led a team of journalists and Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement members, including Oby Ezekwesili, to the Nigerian Air Force Base in Yola. They were greeted by Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who ensured full cooperation, allowing detailed briefings by military commanders.
Mohammed said they joined military reconnaissance teams on search flights over Sambisa Forest, witnessing the operations day and night.
“Impressed by the military’s transparency and efforts, the BBOG group later issued a statement confirming the government’s commitment to rescuing the girls,” he added.
