Chibok parents still waiting for their girls, By Yemi Adebowale

Parents in Chibok, Borno State are still waiting for their abducted daughters, eight years after the gory incident. Last Wednesday, the Kibaku Area Development Association, also known as Chibok Community, said over 110 girls were still with their abductors. The community raised the alarm over the neglect of the schoolgirls abducted in their school by Boko Haram in 2014.

No fewer than 276 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted, 57 escaped on their own, 109 were released after the payment of ransom and 110 are still unaccounted for. That’s the grisly story.

The release of the remaining Abuja-Kaduna train abductees has encouraged Chibok parents to renew pressure on the federal government to free their daughters.

The National President of KADA, Dauda Iliya, said: “The issue of the abandonment of the Chibok schoolgirls has come forth again following the release of the remaining abducted train passengers…The statement on the release has caused the Chibok people pain, despair and a deep feeling of neglect by the federal government.”

Aside from the pain of still waiting for their girls, eight years after abduction, Boko Haram has not ceased attacks in Chibok. The statistics are frightening. In the last 10 years, there have been 72 attacks by Boko Haram, with 407 people killed and 332 people abducted. Scores of houses, churches, farms, vehicles and businesses were also burnt.

Iliya Laments: “The parents and the community have continued to be subjected to persistent and sustained attacks, killings, abductions, maiming, arson and other myriads of criminality without adequate government protection. Chibok has been for all intents and purposes abandoned by all layers of government in Nigeria.

“Last January, Kautikari, the second largest town in Chibok was attacked with five girls abducted, three persons killed, many houses and churches burnt. Piyemi, another big town in Chibok was attacked on January 20 with 19 persons, mostly girls, abducted and one person, the Vigilante leader, beheaded. The town was razed and virtually all the recently harvested agricultural produce completely burnt or looted.”

The promise of Buhari when he assumed office was that all abducted Chibok schoolgirls would be freed. He must fulfil this promise. The President still has seven months to do this. I challenge him today to actualise his pledge.

First published in Thisday Newspaper