#BringBackOurGirls: 10 years since Chibok; We remember, and renew our call for justice with the closure to this decade of shame

Today, the 14th of April 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria. As we reflect on this tragic event, we remember the pain and suffering endured by the girls and their families over the years, the loss of lives amongst the parents, the safe return of 185 girls, the loss of lives in the #BringBackOurGirls movement and the lack of closure for the families of 91 girls who remain with their abductors 10 years on.

The #BringBackOurGirls movement as you recall was born out of the need to demand the safe return of our girls who were abducted from their school dormitory at the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok on the night of April 14th, 2014 and the failure of the government of the day to do its constitutionally mandated duty owed to the girls. Our movement has persisted in this singularity of purpose to a total of three government administrations in Nigeria and ten years on, all our girls are not yet back and their families continue to wait for their return.

In pursuing our advocacy, which is driven by the conviction that the primary duty of government is the security and welfare of citizens, we called on the government to focus on the need to #BringBackOurGirls and ensure that the circumstances that enabled the abduction were identified, addressed, and documented so that a future occurrence would be forestalled. Unfortunately, the Chibok girls’ abduction was only the beginning of countless abductions that have led to a thriving abduction industry in our nation since the Nigerian government continues to exploit the sanctity of Nigerian life by failing to eradicate these terrorists from our land. In 2014 we cried “We are all Chibok girls” as a way to garner a collective outcry to forestall the unnatural occurrence of the abduction, regretfully, ten years on, we are all indeed Chibok girls. Incidents of attacks on schools have spread to the Northwest and even Southern Nigeria. So far, 80 new incidents of attacks on schools have now been documented, with more than 1,800 students and 64 teachers abducted, while 184 students and 15 teachers have been reportedly killed. No Nigerian is immune from the abduction and kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria today. Statistically, in the 3,653 days since the #ChibokGirls’ abduction, a student has been abducted every 2 days and a student killed every 20 days.

Our Girls Are Still in Captivity

Over the last decade, we have recorded successes through the negotiated release and isolated recoveries of our girls through the activities of our security forces and the reunification with their families. However, the reality is still very grim, 91 of our #Chibokgirls are still unaccounted for. As a movement, we remain focused on the firm belief that all our girls must be accounted for to give the necessary closure to the parents and the public. It is inconceivable that any sane society can continue along this path. Considering Nigeria’s already dire number of out-of-school children, our collective response to this unwanted milestone must be driven by urgency, clarity, and a strong political will to reverse the trend. Only a full disclosure and complete accountability can bring closure to this decade of shame.

Today, as we communicate the reality that 48 parents of our abducted girls have passed on with the throbbing pain of not knowing the whereabouts of their daughters, we reiterate our call that the government must live up to its responsibility of returning the #ChibokGirls and all abducted citizens to their rightful homes. 

Our demand, therefore, is that the highest degree and level of public accountability be immediately demonstrated by President Bola Tinubu and his administration and thereby to meet the following Demands of the BringBackOurGirlsMovement: 

• Announce Recognition of the Organization, “Parents of Missing ChibokGirls Association” and Inaugurate a Quarterly Accountability Meetings with Federal Government Inter-Agency High Level Team under the Chairmanship of the President: 
• Publish the Status Report on Rescue of the xxxx Still in Boko Haram Captivity:  The Federal Government led by the Presidency should  immediately publish a detailed update on rescue of our remaining missing girls in print, electronic and social media for wide dissemination. 
• Publish Detailed Status Report on the Debrief, Rehabilitation,  Reintegration and Education of Rescued Girls: The Federal and Borno State Governments publish a status report on the debrief, rehabilitation, reintegration, and education of the rescued girls, in the custody of the Borno State government;
• Publish and Disclose all Investigation Panel Reports on ChibokGirls: The Federal Government should consistent with FGN membership of the global Open Government Partnership- OGP immediately publish and disclose the facts and findings all investigation Panel reports into the abduction of the Chibok girls: (Please list and write the names of the Panels accurately- eg Brigadier General Sabo etc)
• Announce  Plans for the Arrest and Successful Prosecution of all Persons Indicted in the Sabo Report for Negligence Leading to the Abduction and for Failure to Launch Swift Search and Rescue Operation with 48 Hours of Abduction respectively. 
• Account for Budgeted Sums and Expenditures for Welfare of ChibokGirls: The Federal and Borno State Governments should publish an account of all funds appropriated and disbursed for the welfare of the abducted #ChibokGirls and their parents over the last 10 years
• Activate the National Missing Persons Register with the National Human Rights Commission with Appropriate Resources: Review the composition of the membership of the National Missing Persons Register with the National Human Rights Commission and provide technical, human and financial resources to commence operations within the next 3 months with an immediate mandate to present a database with names of all victims of abductions in the country. 
• Design a Closure Strategy With Missing ChibokGirls Parents Association- Federal Government Design of  a Targeted Discussion of Milestone Planning and Scenarios for Closure Discussions for ChibokGirls Parents, Families and Community: Engage and Share with each ChibokGirls parents on the FG analysis of possible scenarios for their children of their daughters with immediate disclosure of all the names of the girls that were reported to be dead as witnessed and established by their classmates and friends while in captivity.
• ReDesignate the Government Secondary School Chibok as the ChibokGirls Federal Government Girls College: Direct Federal Ministry of Education to take over the Government Secondary School Chibok and designate as a Unity School and commence a rebuild into to a modern and world class secondary school for girls with top quality teachers and school administration, 24-hour electricity, water, ICT facilities, a library, laboratories etc.
• Relaunch the Military Situation Room Report: As a matter of urgency and cognizant that abductions and killings continue unabated since the ChibokGirls tragedy, the Nigeria Military and Intelligence establishment should restart a 24/7 Situation Room, composed of security forces and key stakeholders in our educational system, to collect, process, and relay relevant declassified information on a timely basis on the status of all abducted learners in Nigeria. This should  form the basis for designing and implementing preventive and protection measures going forward.
• Publish Status Report on Leah Sharibu the only remaining Dapchi Secondary School Girl Still in Terrorist Captivity: The rescue of Leah Sharibu, and all other victims held hostage by insurgents.

Our hope has endured for ten years, and we maintain that until, and unless, we reach such a time as empirical evidence is provided to the contrary, our demand remains… #BringBackOurGirls, Now and Alive!

Thank you.

Signed: For and on behalf of #BringBackOurGirls

Florence Ozor
Gapani Yanga
Aisha Yesufu
Oby Ezekwesili
Ms. Yemisi Ransome-Kuti
Mrs. Habiba Balogun
Mr. Deji Kolawole
Mrs. Aisha Oyebode
Ms. Opeyemi Adamolekun
Mr. Olalere Babasola
Dr (Mrs) Abiola Akiode-Afolabi
Ms. Ayo Obe Mrs. Ngozi Iwere
Mr. Monday Ojon