Show Notes
Hannatu Stephens was in her school's hostel in Chibok on the night of April 14, 2014. Speaking through a translator, she said at around 1 a.m., she heard loud noises coming from outside. The men who had broken into the hostel were not military soldiers, but members of the insurgency group, Boko Haram. Stephens and 275 other young women were ordered to leave the hostel and the insurgents set the school on fire. Stephens and the other girls were taken to Sambisa Forest, the known hiding sport for members of Boko Haram. The abduction of 276 girls sparked a campaign called Bring Back Our Girls, which had become the rallying cry in Nigeria and abroad. The #BringBackOurGirls hashtag tweeted by hundreds of thousands of people, including former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama. Stephens would be one of 82 schoolgirls eventually released after more than three years in Boko Haram captivity. In the largest liberation of hostages since the schoolgirls were abducted from their boarding school in 2014, five commanders from the extremist group were exchanged for the girls’ freedom. On this episode of Global News’ What happened to…?, Erica Vella speaks with Hannatu Stephens about the night of the abduction and what life was like after she was freed. Erica also speaks with experts to find out if Boko Haram is still a threat to those living in Nigeria. Contact: Twitter: @ericavella Email: [email protected] Captive - https://www.tvo.org/video/documentaries/captive-feature-version Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On June 15, 2011, riots broke out in Vancouver following Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup final downtown after The Canucks were defeated by the Boston Bruins in a stunning 4-0 win. A report found that total damage caused by the riot was just over $3.7 million. There were 112 businesses and 122 vehicles damaged, and 52 assaults were reported against civilians, police and emergency personnel. On this episode of What happened to…? Erica Vella speaks with those who were in the ground experienced the riot first hand and learns more about the push for change and accountability following the riots. Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9899622/what-happened-to-2011-vancouver-riots/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On February 5, 1981, Toronto Police launched Operation Soap. Officers ambushed four Toronto bathhouses in a series of coordinated raids following a six-month investigation, which led to almost 300 patrons being arrested on the street. The raids were a watershed moment for Toronto's Queer community because, thousands of activists protested along the streets of Toronto and decided to fight the attacks in court. On this episode of What happened to…? Erica Vella speaks with members of the Queer community about the 1981 Toronto bathhouse raids. She learns about the public’s response, and ultimately, how communities came together to create lasting change. Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9888886/what-happened-to-the-1981-toronto-bathhouse-raids/