87 Chibok Schoolgirls Still In Captivity 10 Years After Abduction – Borno Community Raises Concern

Ten years following the abduction of 276 female students at a Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, the affected community is demanding the freedom of the remaining girls in captivity.

While some of the girls have been rescued and reunited with their families, it is believed that eight-seven (87) of them are still in the bush with their abductors.

The families of the remaining captives, however, have maintained their hope for their freedom and return to the community.

The spokesperson for the affected community, Allen Manasseh, raised concerns about the gils while paying tribute during the 70th birthday celebration of Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili, the husband of former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, Naija News reports.

Recall that Ezekwesili has been vocal about the disturbing abduction which was carried out by the Boko Haram insurgents in Chibok on April 14, 2014.

Despite the harrowing situation, some of the schoolgirls had managed to escape by jumping off the moving trucks and seeking refuge in the nearby bushes.

Naija News recalls that the abduction triggered widespread outrage from local and international media, leading to political leaders and activists pressuring former President Goodluck Jonathan to rescue the girls and provide intelligence and support.

Even after Jonathan’s administration, the pressure to secure the release of the remaining captives persisted.

During his remark at Ezekwesili’s birthday event, Manasseh revealed that there has been no information regarding the whereabouts of the remaining 87 schoolgirls.

“I came across them (The Ezekwesilis) at the thick of the abduction of the Chibok girls. I am sure by mentioning Chibok girls, many of you here understand the sacrifices of this wonderful family to our community. If not for them, the name Chibok would not make it to the level where people would accept that we lost over 276 Chibok girls at some point. This family has sacrificed their comfort and endured all kinds of ridicule because they stood with us.

“At some points, all our hopes were gone. Sometimes we didn’t even know what to say or do. But Pastor ‘Nedu Ezekwesili would look at us and wait till we have exhausted all our frustration before addressing us in such a way that we felt the hopes getting renewed in us to look up to God again. That was the hope that got us believing again that one day these girls (Chibok) would be brought back.

“Today, I’m happy to say because of the sacrifices of this family and many others out there, we have recovered over 132 of these Chibok girls. We are still expecting 87 of them to come back. Any one of you that have been monitoring what is happening in Abuja will know that sometimes we say some things, and the next thing, we are packed and locked up somewhere. But these people stood by us. When we talk about lawyers, they have those who have stood with us. They have also used all the available resources from their family to keep fighting for us over the period of 10 years,” The PUNCH quoted Manasseh saying.