A decade after the world was shaken by the mass abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, the United Nations has revealed that 91 of the girls are still missing or in captivity.
The finding was disclosed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in a recent inquiry report, following a two-week fact-finding mission to Nigeria in December 2023.
According to the report, the tragedy of the Chibok girls remains a painful reminder of Nigeria’s ongoing security and human rights challenges. Survivors continue to battle deep trauma, social stigma, and lack of access to proper rehabilitation services.
The CEDAW delegation visited Abuja, Adamawa, Borno, Enugu, and Kaduna States, meeting with government agencies, security officials, and victims of abductions. For the first time since 2014, UN officials also visited Chibok Government Secondary School the site of the mass kidnapping.
The report described the abduction as part of a pattern of grave and systematic violations against women and girls in Nigeria, pointing to widespread kidnappings by Boko Haram and other armed groups.
CEDAW Chair, Nahla Haidar, noted that the Chibok abduction “was not an isolated tragedy but the beginning of a decade-long wave of mass kidnappings across northern Nigeria.” She revealed that over 1,400 students have been abducted from schools since 2014, many forced into marriage, trafficking, or exchanged for ransom.
The inquiry documented harrowing experiences of the Chibok girls. Many were denied food, beaten for disobedience, forced into marriage with fighters, or coerced into religious conversion. Some gave birth while in captivity.
Survivors of other abductions also described repeated sexual violence and physical abuse at the hands of their captors.
For those who managed to escape, life has not been easy. Many cannot return home due to stigma associated with Boko Haram, while others remain stranded in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps without adequate support.
Between 2016 and 2017, 103 girls were released through negotiations, while 82 others escaped on their own. These survivors received psychosocial care and educational opportunities, with some awarded scholarships at the American University of Nigeria and abroad.
However, the 91 still missing girls remain unaccounted for, as the government has reportedly stopped negotiations with armed groups.
The UN report strongly criticised Nigerian authorities for:
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Failing to prevent and protect schoolgirls from abductions.
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Neglecting to provide adequate rehabilitation and education for survivors.
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Failing to address the stigma faced by victims of sexual violence and their children.
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Not criminalising marital rape and abductions across all 36 states.
The Committee urged Nigeria to intensify rescue efforts for the missing Chibok girls, strengthen the police, and ensure schools are safe for children, especially girls.
The CEDAW report concludes that the Chibok girls were failed twice—first when they were abducted, and again when many survivors were left to struggle without care after regaining freedom.
“The fate of the 91 still missing girls remains unknown,” the report warned, stressing the need for urgent international and local action to bring closure to families who have waited in pain for ten long years.
The full report, including findings and recommendations, is now available online.
