In the News

Last week one of the 219 Nigerian Chibok schoolgirls was rescued from captivity after being kidnapped by terrorist group Boko Haram more than two years ago.

Lawmakers, advocates and support groups rejoiced for the victory during a news conference on Wednesday, May 18 on Capitol Hill Northwest.

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), a front-runner on the issue since it happened, asserted that “time is of the essence” for the rest of the girls in bondage.

“This is an extremely critical development and the best possible confirmation of why it has been so important for us to fight for the safe return of these girls week after week while much of the world wondered why bother and had given up hope,” Rep. Wilson said.

Amina Ali Nkeki, 19, ironically was discovered by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force on Wear Something Red Wednesday, the day on which lawmakers commemorate the missing girls each week that Congress is in session.

Reports say she was spotted while gathering firewood carrying a baby said to be just a few months old.

After a short reunion with family members, who confirmed her identity, Amina met with Nigerian government officials.

“We must assume that with the rescue of this one girl, Boko Haram will very likely try to move the girls even deeper into the forest,” Rep. Wilson said. “They may also try to separate them into groups, which will make it more challenging to find them.”

“It is critically vital that we zero in on their location as quickly as humanly possible.”

The Florida lawmaker called for continued swift action by U.S. bodies, the international community and others that have pledged support to help Nigeria rescue the girls and defeat Boko Haram.

Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, commended Wilson’s dogged determination to keep lawmakers engaged in this issue.

“This is a day of mixed emotions. It’s a day to celebrate because of the return of one of the girls and the possibility of getting information and how the girls are being treated. Will this bring us closer to finding them?” Bass said.

“But it’s also a day for us to remember that it was one girl that returned, and there are still over 200 girls being held captive. I want to make sure we continue this campaign until every single girl is returned.”

Other lawmakers, notably all from the Congressional Black Caucus, made statements supporting Wilson’s work in the return of all of the kidnapped girls.

“We must continue to fight for the freedoms of the least among us, whether those for whom we fight are out of sight, such as the kidnapped teenage girls from the Chibok boarding school or educated medical doctors fleeing violent extremism in Syria,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said.

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) said that he cannot imagine the grief the parents of the girls are experiencing but vows to do more.

“I am proud to have joined the efforts championed by Congresswoman Wilson, who has been working tirelessly to ensure the girls are not forgotten,” Rangel said. “She has proven the power of many, through simple acts of wearing red on Wednesdays and using hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. We must not stop until they all return home safely.”