Meet the Australian doctor trying to #BringBackOurGirls

Six months after 200 girls were kidnapped in Nigeria, Australian hostage negotiator Stephen Davis says he's "stunned" US-back military forces, haven't targeted Boko Haram.

Australians join Boko Haram protestsAustralians join Boko Haram protests

Australians join Boko Haram protests

Exactly six months ago more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a remote village in northeast Nigeria.

When news spread it sparked global outrage and spawned a high profile social media campaign using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.

But the girls are still missing.

The group behind the kidnapping, Islamist militants called Boko Haram, have put out videos of the girls, but have so far released none.
"They are just fighters in a convoy in open country, almost treeless, and they're unchallenged. Now if the US with their drones can pick a guy off with an AK-47 walking down the street in Baghdad, I am stunned that they can't identify large convoys."
Australian doctor Stephen Davis, a former canon at Coventry Cathedral, has negotiated with Boko Harem to try to secure the girls' release.

He estimates that 500 or 600 girls have been kidnapped aside from the 200 or so Chibok girls that made headlines.

"There's at least that many, if not more, both kidnapped before and after. This has gone on for some considerable time," he says.

He says that while the media attention on the Chibok girls is a good thing because the world has found out what's going on in Nigeria, but the problem is far wider than that.

"If the Chibok girls were all released tomorrow, it would be a great pity, a traversty of justice, if that were the end of it."

The US and British governments have pledged military and technical support to help defeat Boko Haram. But despite the location of their bases being well known to authorities, still nothing has been done to stop them.

"They are just fighters in a convoy in open country, almost treeless, and they're unchallenged. Now if the US with their drones can pick a guy off with an AK-47 walking down the street in Baghdad, I am stunned that they can't identify large convoys."
"If the Chibok girls were all released tomorrow, it would be a great pity, a traversty of justice, if that were the end of it."
"The other countries thaat have this technology seem to be quite happy to be a little like historians, just documenting things, or spectators, but they're certainly not pasing on information, in any way that helps anyone interdict to save lives. I think it's unconsionable."

Dr Davis also says corrupt Nigeria politicians are supporting Boko Haram.









Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Channel 4

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world