Nine Years After: 98 Chibok girls still in Boko Haram captivity

Amnesty International said today that nine years after Boko Haram abducted 276 students from a girls’ school in Chibok, 98 girls are still being held by Boko Haram, and a slew of abductions have occurred since, revealing the Nigerian authorities’ utter failure to learn from the heartbreak of Chibok and, ultimately, to protect children.

Since the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram, a slew of schools have been attacked, with students being abducted, raped, killed, or forced into “marriages.” However, the Nigerian government have not conducted a single meaningful inquiry into the security failures that exposed children to atrocities committed by Boko Haram and gunmen.

“Parents of the 98 Chibok schoolgirls who are still being held by Boko Haram — as well as other children abducted by gunmen — are living in anguish, knowing that their children are in the hands of ruthless individuals who subject their loved ones to chilling brutalities,” said Amnesty International Nigeria Acting Director Isa Sanusi.

“It is time for Nigerian authorities to take meaningful action on armed groups like Boko Haram and gunmen.” Nigeria is obligated to put protections in place to protect all children, and the absence of accountability for these heinous crimes feeds impunity. The Chibok schoolgirls should be released to their families, and those guilty for egregious abuses should face punishment.”