12 years on, parents renew call for rescue of 87 Chibok girls

By Henry Ojelu

Twelve years after the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, parents of the victims have renewed calls for urgent and coordinated global action to secure the release of those still in captivity.

In an open letter issued at the weekend, the parents appealed to the federal government, the international community and the United Nations to intensify efforts towards rescuing the remaining girls, noting that 87 of them are still unaccounted for.

The statement, signed by Yana Galang and Zanna Lawan on behalf of the parents of the missing girls, described the continued absence of the victims as a painful reminder of promises yet to be fulfilled since the April 14, 2014, abduction.

The Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, which sparked global outrage and advocacy for the protection of girls’ education, remains one of the most defining incidents of insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East.

While acknowledging that some of the girls have been released or rescued over the years, the parents lamented that progress has been slow and incomplete.

“For the families, this is not a past tragedy but an ongoing reality,” the statement read, stressing that the passage of time has done little to ease the anguish and uncertainty surrounding the fate of their daughters.

They urged the Nigerian government to not only sustain but strengthen ongoing efforts to locate the missing girls, insisting on the need for accountability in the rescue process.

“We want to once again passionately call on the Nigerian government to sustain and strengthen efforts to locate the missing girls and to ensure accountability,” the parents said.

The group also called on the United Nations and other international partners to keep the Chibok case on the global agenda and support initiatives aimed at protecting children, particularly girls, in conflict-affected regions.

Describing the incident as more than a national concern, the parents said it represents “a test of global resolve”, warning that the responsibility to act must not diminish with time.

They further demanded coordinated and transparent actions, including sustained search operations and broader strategies to guarantee safe access to education, especially for girls in vulnerable communities.

The parents cautioned against allowing the Chibok abduction to fade into obscurity, insisting that the missing girls must not become “a symbol without consequence”.

They maintained that the crisis remains unresolved until all the abducted girls are accounted for, urging sustained commitment from all stakeholders to bring closure to affected families.