Indy Nigerian Community Keeps Hope

The kidnapping of nearly 300 girls in Nigeria is still having a ripple effect in Indianapolis where there are more than 10,000 Nigerians.

Some of the girls taken have been reunited with their families, but more than 200 still have not.

Last month, a group of civic, city and church leaders stood on the steps of Monument Circle and called for the girls to be returned to their homes.

Mama Calabar was one of them and says she thinks the local demonstration made a difference.

"I saw the Nigerian community, the city of Indianapolis, the passion that the other international groups have in solidarity with the Nigerians to come and pray with us and I beg to the lord, answer our prayers," she said.  

Some prayers were answered with more than 50 of the girls returning to their families, but militant group Boko Haram is still holding hundreds of others.

Calabar says that is causing anguish for Nigerian families all over the world, including in Indy.

"We still need to pray for them.  We still need to intercede for them.  We still need to comfort them," said Calabar.  "The parents, the families − we are still talking to them about it because when you don't have your child at home the pain will still be there until the person returns."

Modupe Adewunmi with the Indianapolis chapter of Nigerians In Diaspora Organization says not much more can be done locally except for the Nigerian community and all resident to pray and remain hopeful.

"The fact that we have each other here just to encourage one another is also a good thing, but we can only pray and hope and continue to let our voice be heard about the girls and reuniting our gilrs who are our sisters, our daughters," said Adewunmi.  "Of course we are very concerned, but we do recognize that we here (in Indianapolis) cannot really do anything physically to bring our girls back."

A final report from Nigeria released last week finds that the girls who are back with their families escaped.

The U.S. sent intelligence support, including drones to locate the kidnapped girls.