We Are Still Mourning 89 Chibok Girls In Boko Haram Captivity – Borno Govt

The Borno State Government has said it is deeply sad that 89 out of 276 abducted girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, are still in Boko Haram captivity.

The State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security Affairs, Prof Usman Tar, stated this at a press conference on Saturday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the incident.

It would be recalled that on April 14, 2014, Boko Haram terrorists abducted 276 school girls from Government Secondary School in Chibok, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.

It was gathered that over 50 of the female students were able to escape almost immediately by jumping off the truck, which was conveying them into the bushes.

Sadly, 10 years later, about 90 who are still in Boko Haram captivity have been married off and become mothers.

However, Tar disclosed that so far, 187 of the 276 abducted Chibok girls have been rescued and reunited with their families, while 89 of them were still missing.

The commissioner noted that the 187 girls were rescued over a period of ten years, including 57 that escaped on the day of abduction.

He said the 187 rescued girls were enrolled in various scholarship programmes, capacity-building centres and the Second Chance Schools initiative to make them self-reliant.

The commissioner expressed hope that with the combined efforts of the security forces, intelligence agencies and communities, all the remaining girls in captivity would return home.

He said: “With about 100 still in captivity, I can say that we are still in a mourning period, and we are still in prayer sessions in Mosques and Churches for their rescue.

“This is not a moment of celebration and joy, but a moment for prayers and commemoration. We will celebrate when all have been rescued.”

Tar, who spoke alongside his counterpart of Women Affairs, Zuwaira Gambo, called on the parents of the girls who are still missing to be patient as the government is doing everything possible to bring them back.

“We really understand the pain and anguish that the families of those still in captivity are going through, and the government is committed to rescuing the remaining girls in captivity; we are working very closely with the federal security agencies along this line,” he added.