12 years after Chibok girls’ abduction: Foundation seeks accountability, action
As the world marks the 12th year of the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) has called for
As the world marks the 12th year of the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) has called for renewed accountability on the matter.
The foundation noted that the incident symbolised a broader pattern of neglect and diminishing global urgency.
In a statement alongside its latest report, the MMF said that 89 of the girls remain unaccounted for, underscoring the extent to which the crisis remains unresolved more than a decade later.
According to the foundation, 187 of the girls have either escaped or been released and rescued since the abduction on April 14, 2014.
“In addition, over 40 children have been born in captivity and returned with their mothers, reflecting the long-term human consequences of the abduction,” the foundation said.
Despite these developments, the MMF noted that progress has slowed significantly, with no confirmed rescue of a Chibok girl in the past year.
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“Chibok has become more than a place or a moment in time,” the Chief Executive Officer of MMF, Dr. Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, said.
“It is now a metaphor for neglect — of responsibility, of accountability, and of our collective empathy for those who continue to live with the consequences of this tragedy.”
The foundation also warned that the Chibok girls’ abduction, once a defining moment of global outrage, now reflects a broader failure to sustain attention and follow through on commitments.
It stressed that subsequent abductions of schoolchildren across Nigeria have reinforced fears among families and undermined confidence in the safety of education, particularly for girls.
“What Chibok exposed was not only a security failure but a failure of sustained attention — the inability to begin and to finish, to respond and to follow through,” the statement said.
The MMF urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to locate those still missing and to ensure transparency and accountability in its response.
The foundation also urged the United Nations (UN) and the international community to renew engagement and support coordinated efforts to protect children and safeguard education in conflict-affected regions.
It emphasised that the long-term impact of the abduction extends beyond those still missing, affecting survivors, families, and entire communities.
According to the foundation, many girls have experienced disrupted education, prolonged trauma, and uncertain futures.
“Chibok must not be remembered only as a tragedy,” Dr. Muhammed Oyebode said. “It must remain a call to action. Until every missing girl is accounted for, this responsibility remains unfinished.”
The report is accompanied by a photographic exhibition drawn from Stolen Daughters of Chibok, offering a visual reflection on the human impact behind the numbers.
