Tears flowed freely on Friday as President Muhammadu Buhari; his wife, Aisha; and the wife of the Vice-President, Dolapo Osinbajo, met with two women whose daughters are among the over 200 schoolgirls abducted last year by members of the Boko Haram sect in Chibok, Borno State.
The emotional-laden encounter took place inside the Defence House, Abuja, where Buhari currently operates from.
Mrs. Osinbajo had earlier led the two women to a meeting with Hajia Buhari, who later led them into another round of meeting with Buhari.
By the time they emerged from the meeting and posed for photographs, the two women again broke down in tears while Mrs. Buhari held them tightly.
Mrs. Osinbajo also joined in the weeping.
The Vice-President’s wife, with misty eyes, later told journalists what transpired during the two separate meetings.
She said, “Hajia Aisha Buhari had for many months wanted to visit Chibok. She also wanted to meet with the mothers.
“Today, we had an opportunity for them to meet face-to-face. We had two of the mothers who still have their daughters missing after a year.
“Hajia met with them, held them and they cried, everybody cried. What only a mother will do is to say ‘wait, I want you to see your father and see what your father will do.’
“We were all overwhelmed that at this time when the President is so busy, he had time to meet with the women from Chibok.
“He spoke to them in English and Hausa. He explained to them how he keeps telling everybody to put themselves in their place.
“So, today we have had the opportunity for the President and Hajia to show that they are our father and mother, for that we are glad.”
Shortly after the photo session, security men quickly whisked the weeping mothers away.
It will, however, be recalled that all efforts to rescue the schoolgirls them abducted over a year ago have yet to yield any result.
Not only visiting the parents, they should bring the Chibok girls back because it is one of their campaign promises if they believe Chibok girls exist in the first place