Feb, 1st 2021 – The Nigerian military says it does not have in its custody any of the schoolgirls abducted seven years ago in the northern town of Chibok. This is amid reports that some of the girls had escaped from their abductors. Those who managed to escape are believed to be in the capital of Borno State, although there are still few details known about how they fled.
Former chairman of the Chibok community Hosea Adama says that the town is celebrating. He said, “People are happy, yes it is true. Even if it’s one girl, the whole village will jubilate over it.”
“Up till now, we don’t know who is involved and how many. Even the soldiers, people contacted them, they don’t have the right information. They are still profiling,” he added.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major General Lucky Irabor, says no escaped Chibok Girl is currently in the custody of Nigeria’s military. CDS however said, “we desire that the rest of the Chibok Girls receive their liberty and if our operations have helped these ones to escape, if it yielded such results, then we are glad.”
In 2014 Boko Haram militants kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, sparking an international outcry and leading to personalities like Michelle Obama, then the US first lady, to campaign for their release.
The Chibok girls remain a powerful symbol of the security challenges plaguing Nigeria’s north-east. The Nigerian authorities have managed to secure the release of more than 100 of the girls, but many are still missing.