The 11th anniversary of the adduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, was held on April 14 with the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaigners and affected families calling for the rescue of the remaining 82 schoolgirls still in Boko Haram captivity. Also, some of the affected families have expressed worry that 11 years after the gruesome abduction of their children, they are yet to regain their freedom in spite of promises by successive administrations in the country to rescue them.
Although the Muhammadu Buhari administration rescued many of the Chibok schoolgirls, it is unfortunate that about 82 of them are still being held hostage by the terrorists. Despite promises to rescue them, the girls are still yet to regain their freedom. It is disheartening that eleven years after the abduction of 276 Chibok school girls by Boko Haram terrorists group, some of the girls are still in captivity.
Apart from the Chibok schoolgirls’ incident, about 110 schoolgirls were also kidnapped by the Boko Haram terrorist group from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State in 2018. While five of the schoolgirls died the same day of their kidnap, the terrorists released the rest except the lone Christian girl, Leah Sharibu.
Similarly, on February 26, 2021, about 276 female students were abducted from Government Girls Science Secondary School in Jengebe, Zamfara State. Fortunately, all the hostages were released by the bandits on March 2, 2021. However, it was not clear whether the victims were released after payment of ransom or not.
Since then, the abduction of school schoolchildren has become more frequent in Nigeria, especially in the North. While some have been released after ransom has been paid, others including the 82 Chibok schoolgirls, Leah Sharibu of Dapchi schoolgirls’ adduction are still languishing in captivity.
The abduction of the schoolgirls has affected school enrolment in the northern part of the country, which accounts for the greater number of the nation’s out-of-school-children estimated to be over 20 million. Bringing these children into the classroom is the only way to end the scourge of children outside the school system. However, government can only do that when it assures the schoolchildren, especially the girls that they can no longer be abducted from the school premises by the Boko Haram terrorists or the bandits. That is why the government should increase security around schools.
While the government should increase moves to rescue all the schoolgirls still in captivity, it should also ensure that the war against the terrorists is intensified in all fronts.
At the same time, there is a need to protect schools and ensure that terrorists and bandits do not abduct schoolchildren. It is the responsibility of the government to protect the lives and property of citizens. But regrettably, Nigeria’s security situation has worsened over the years, with no improvement in sight. Since the inception of the Bola Tinubu administration, it has apparently not made any effort to rescue the Chibok schoolgirls and others not yet rescued.
Perhaps this is the right time for Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter and resolve it once and for all. Let the federal government intensify efforts to rescue the school girls and make the school a safe place for children. As long as the schoolgirls are in captivity, it is a poor commentary on the government and its commitment to secure the country. The Tinubu administration should revisit the case of the abducted schoolgirls with the hope of rescuing them. As long as those girls are still in captivity, the terrorists would be emboldened to continue in their despicable acts.
It is not in doubt that every citizen deserves to be protected irrespective of his or her social standing. Nigerian children have the right to go to school and acquire education without fear of being abducted or kidnapped. Regrettably, some of the parents of these girls may have died through trauma, while some of the girls may also have died in captivity. Chibok schoolgirls and other schoolchildren in captivity must be rescued. It is the responsibility of the government to do so. Above all, there must be an end to the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.