Patience Jonathan, Police Say No Leaders of the #BringBackOurGirls Movement Arrested

First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan denied claims that she had ordered the arrest of Naomi Mutah Nyadar, leader of the movement which urges the Nigerian Government to do everything possible to rescue the over 200 girls who still remain in Boko Haram captivity.

Last week, some 500 women led by Mrs. Nyadar held a demonstration at the National Assembly over female students abducted by the insurgents in Chibok town, Borno State.

According to official statement from Patience Jonathan's Media Assistant Ayo Adewuyi, Mrs. Nyadar was among the women who attended the women stakeholders' meeting to discuss ways and strategies to ensure the release of the abducted girls. All the participants left the Presidential Villa when the lengthy meeting ended in the early hours on Monday.

The controversy started when the attendees were informed that Mrs. Nyadar, who came as part of Borno State delegation, was, in fact, impersonating one of the mothers of the abducted teenagers. Other women condemned this development.

Patience Jonathan's perspective

Speaking on the matter, Dame Patience said she asked the leader of the mothers whose children have been abducted to come to the National Assembly. Mrs. Nyadar came forward, claiming her daughter was missing. Today, Mrs. Jonathan said, she was surprised to find out that Mrs. Nyadar was only impersonating one of the Chibok girls' mothers. The First Lady suggested that Mrs. Nyadar should be arrested for the "whole civil servant impersonating."

Naomi Nyadar's perspective

When quizzed at the women stakeholders' meeting, Mrs. Nyadar admitted she is not a mother to any abducted girls and hadn't been to Chibok in the last year. But, she said, she was asked to represent one of those expected to attend the meeting at the First Lady's conference room.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Zainab Maina, confirmed that the woman had last week claimed she was a mother to one of the abducted girls.

The police statement

Chief Superintendent of police, Frank Mba, in an official statement, also asserted that no one was arrested or detained by the police in relation to the #BringOurGirlsBack movement.

Mrs. Nyadar Naomi Mutah,  a native of Chibok and Deputy Director at the National Directorate of Employment, Abuja, was invited by police operatives to discuss measures and disclose useful information to help security agents in finding and rescuing the female students.

Mrs. Nyadar cooperated with the Police in the course of the interview and was immediately allowed to return home to her loved ones. She was never arrested nor detained as being wrongly speculated in some quarters, the statement read.

Source: Legit.ng