Chibok girls: Parents and foundation lament fading global attention 12 years after abduction
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
Parents of the Chibok girls still missing, along with The Murtala Muhammed Foundation, have urged the Federal Government, Borno State Government, the United Nations, and the international community to renew efforts for their release. Twelve years after the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, concerns are rising over waning accountability and global attention. Gunmen abducted the girls on April 14, 2014, an incident that sparked the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. In an open letter, parents Yana Galang and Zanna Lawan stated that 87 girls remain unaccounted for, describing the situation as an ongoing tragedy. They emphasized that time has not diminished the pain or uncertainty for families awaiting answers and called for intensified efforts to locate the remaining girls and ensure accountability. The Murtala Muhammed Foundation, in its anniversary statement, noted that 89 girls are still missing, while 187 have either escaped, been released, or rescued. Over 40 children born in captivity have also returned with their mothers. Dr. Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, expressed concern that progress in securing releases has slowed significantly, with no confirmed recoveries in the past year. She stated that Chibok has become a metaphor for neglect of responsibility, accountability, and collective empathy. Oyebode added that the abduction, once a source of global outrage, now reflects a failure to susta
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