Chibok girls: Parents, foundation lament fading global attention

Parents of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls have called on the Federal Government, Borno State Government, the United Nations and the international community to renew efforts to secure the release of those still in captivity.

 

The appeal comes 12 years after the abduction of 276 students from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014—an incident that sparked global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

 

In an open letter signed by Yana Galang and Zanna Lawan, the parents said 87 of the girls remain unaccounted for, describing the situation as an ongoing tragedy.

 

“For the families, this is not a past tragedy but an ongoing reality,” the statement read, adding that the passage of time has not eased the pain or uncertainty surrounding the fate of the missing girls.

 

Also reacting, the Murtala Muhammed Foundation expressed concern over what it described as declining global attention and accountability on the issue.

 

According to the foundation, 187 of the abducted girls have either escaped or been rescued, while dozens remain missing. It added that there has been no confirmed recovery in the past year.

 

Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Dr Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, said the Chibok incident has come to symbolise broader institutional neglect.

 

“Chibok has become more than a place or a moment in time. It is now a metaphor for neglect—of responsibility, of accountability, and of our collective empathy,” she said.

 

Oyebode noted that the initial global outrage had not been matched with sustained action.

 

“What Chibok exposed was not only a security failure, but a failure of sustained attention—the inability to begin and to finish,” she added.

 

The foundation also highlighted the long-term impact of the abduction, noting that many of the rescued girls continue to face trauma, disrupted education, and uncertain futures. It added that over 40 children were born in captivity and later returned with their mothers.

 

It warned that recurring abductions of schoolchildren across the country have heightened fears and weakened confidence in the safety of education, particularly for girls in conflict-affected areas.

 

The group urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to locate the remaining girls and ensure transparency, while calling on international partners to renew coordinated support.

 

“Chibok must not be remembered only as a tragedy. It must remain a call to action. Until every missing girl is accounted for, this responsibility remains unfinished,” Oyebode said.