How time flies! It’s been ten years since the abduction of 276 girls from Chibok Girls Secondary School in Borno state. However, a damning fresh report revealed a mouth agape subjugation that the girls went through in the hands of their captors.
Regretfully, the report disclosed that 21 of the released girls returned with 34 children. The implication of this is that the girls were sexually abused, coerced into unwanted marriages and turned into baby machines by mindless animals in human skin in Boko Haram captivity.
The Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) released this revealing report to mark the 10th Year Anniversary of the Chibok girls abduction. In it, the MMF further highlighted the tragic toll of the helpless abduction in a security hopeless nation on the families of the victims while pointing out that 48 parents of the abducted girls have passed away since the kidnapping, with survivors and their families continuing to grapple with widespread psychological trauma, leading to health complications and obstacles to work and education.
In the MMF’s virtual report presentation, Dr. Aisha Muhammad-Oyebode, its CEO, emphasized the urgency of addressing the lingering challenges. The foundation outlined 10 key recommendations aimed at urging both the Nigerian government and the international community to collaborate on prioritizing critical areas of intervention.
The MMF recommendations include enhanced security protocols, community empowerment initiatives, provision of psychological support services in high-risk areas, educational programs, legal reforms, transparent communication channels, humanitarian aid and development assistance, women’s empowerment initiatives, and the establishment of early warning systems for security threats.
Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode stated: “In the ten years since the Chibok kidnapping caused global outrage, very little has changed on the ground in Nigeria where kidnapping is still as prevalent, if not worse than a decade ago.
“As Nigeria’s kidnapping epidemic shows no signs of slowing, we urge the Nigerian authorities and the international community to take concrete steps to address the underlying drivers of conflict, extremism, and violence against women and girls, which include widespread poverty, instability, and a lack of economic opportunities.
“The report found that 91 out of the 276 schoolgirls remain unaccounted for. The report also revealed that 21 of the Chibok girls who were released returned with 34 children, serving as a devastating confirmation of the sexual violence and coerced marriages they endured while in captivity.”
An adumbration of salient revelations in the MMF report are:
•That in 2014, 57 schoolgirls escaped by jumping off the Boko Haram trucks.
•That between 2016 and 2023, 128 girls have since been rescued, exchanged in deals with Boko Haram or found in countries including neighbouring Cameroon after escaping.
•That one of the girls scheduled for release opted out of the negotiations at the last minute, choosing to remain with her captors.
•That 48 parents of the abducted victims have died since the girls were kidnapped, with
widespread psychological trauma for survivors and their families, leading to health issues and barriers to work and education.
•That three of those parents were killed by Boko Haram in subsequent attacks in 2014, 2016, and 2017, respectively.
•That in February 2018, Boko Haram abducted over 100 schoolgirls in a town called Dapchi in a shocking attack that was worryingly similar to the Chibok kidnapping.
•That several cases of kidnapping and instability persist, with girls among those most at risk.
Aisha Mohammed-Bello further said in the report that: “The MMF’s report shares recommendations in efforts to address the root causes of the kidnapping and urges for international cooperation to urgently act to deliver solutions that put an end to the crisis.”
She went on to advocate for a zero tolerance policy and ensure that those who are responsible for the atrocities documented are brought to justice no matter how powerful or well connected.
“Legal accountability must be institutionalized and must apply to those who were neglectful in their duty to protect our most vulnerable. The 34 babies born to the Chibok mothers are evidence of egregious atrocities that demand justice.
“Forced marriage in conflict, declared a crime against humanity by the United Nations in Sierra Leone, was perpetrated against many of the abducted girls both Muslim and Christian compounding their trauma and suffering. The separation from their families, the violation of their rights and the assault on their dignity constitute grave injustices that must not go unpunished,” she concluded.
