2014 Chibok Girls’ Abduction and Leah Sharibu’s Unresolved Puzzle
Monday, April 14, 2025, marked eleven painful years since the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by the Boko Haram terrorist group.
What should have triggered a swift and coordinated national response instead exposed deep-rooted inefficiencies, neglect, and systemic failures within the Nigerian government—failures that persist to this day.
In the immediate aftermath of the 2014 abduction, Nigerians and the international community watched in disbelief as the administration of then-President Goodluck Jonathan struggled to respond.
While countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and France offered assistance, the Nigerian government initially hesitated, with the president reportedly dismissing the incident as an “internal crisis” he would handle personally. That delay gave Boko Haram crucial time to scatter the girls—many of whom were later forced into marriages, enslaved, or subjected to even worse fates.
Today, more than 90 of the Chibok girls remain missing. The #BringBackOurGirls movement mobilized global support, uniting celebrities, activists, and ordinary citizens across continents. Yet, even the spotlight of international advocacy could not compel Nigerian leaders to sustain effective and focused rescue operations.
Four years after the Chibok tragedy, another heart-wrenching chapter was written in the town of Dapchi, Yobe State. On February 19, 2018, over 100 schoolgirls were abducted by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Within a month, all but one were returned.
That one girl was 14-year-old Leah Sharibu, who remains in captivity to this day—seven long years later. Leah’s case stands out, not only for the length of her captivity but for the heartbreaking reason she was never freed: her refusal to renounce her Christian faith.
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Her continued detention is a national shame, a symbol of the government’s selective urgency and moral failure. Despite public outcry and repeated promises from government officials, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, Leah’s freedom remains elusive. No transparent update. No closure. Just silence.
Successive administrations—including the current government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—have failed to prioritize the rescue of the remaining girls or implement lasting reforms to safeguard schoolchildren. The statistics are staggering: since 2014, over 1,600 children have been kidnapped in mass school abductions across Nigeria.
From Dapchi to Kankara, Jangebe to Tegina, each new incident echoes the trauma of Chibok. The impact on education has been devastating. Fear-driven school dropouts have surged, contributing to Nigeria’s out-of-school population, which now stands at 20.1 million—the highest in the world.
Programs such as the Safe Schools Initiative, once launched with hope and international funding, have largely stalled. The Chibok school itself remains in ruins—a crumbling symbol of broken promises and unmet responsibilities.
The continued silence of key figures—including Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was governor of Borno State during the Chibok abduction—has baffled and angered many Nigerians. Insecurity in Nigeria has escalated into a full-blown national emergency. The country is currently ranked sixth on the Global Terrorism Index.
Terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping continue to thrive amid weak intelligence coordination, underfunded security operations, and rampant corruption. Despite billions of naira allocated annually to defense, the results remain elusive. The people are not safe. The children are not safe.
Eleven years on, the fates of the Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu remain damning stains on the conscience of the nation—chilling reminders of Nigeria’s repeated failure to protect its most vulnerable citizens. As the country reflects on this solemn anniversary, the call for urgent action grows louder.
What Nigeria needs now is decisive leadership: a declared state of emergency on insecurity, serious investments in community-based intelligence, and full transparency and accountability for every naira spent on defense.
We owe it to the Chibok girls. We owe it to Leah Sharibu. We owe it to every child in every classroom, dreaming of a better future. Nigeria must do better—or risk losing an entire generation’s faith in their own country.
