12 Years After Chibok Horror: Parents Cry Out as 87 Schoolgirls Still Missing in Boko Haram Abduction
Families of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have renewed calls for the Nigerian government and international partners to intensify efforts to rescue the remaining victims, 12 years after the mass kidnapping in Borno State.
In an open letter signed by representatives of the Parents of the Still Missing Chibok Girls, the families said 87 of the 276 schoolgirls abducted in April 2014 by Boko Haram militants are still unaccounted for. They described the situation as an ongoing crisis rather than a closed chapter, insisting that the passage of time has not reduced their pain or uncertainty.
The parents called on the Nigerian government, the United Nations, and other international stakeholders to renew coordinated efforts to locate the missing girls and ensure accountability in the handling of the case. They warned that sustained attention is necessary to prevent the case from fading from global concern.
From a child protection and safeguarding perspective, the Chibok abduction remains one of the most severe cases of large-scale child abduction in Nigeria’s recent history. The incident continues to highlight the vulnerability of children in conflict-affected regions, particularly in areas where insecurity limits access to safe education and weakens protective structures.
Over the years, some of the abducted girls have escaped or been rescued through military operations and negotiations, but dozens remain missing more than a decade later. Families maintain that each unaccounted child represents an unresolved safeguarding failure requiring continued action.
The parents also stressed that missing children cases must remain active priorities regardless of how much time has passed, urging authorities to sustain tracing, recovery, and reunification efforts. They further appealed for stronger international cooperation, noting that the scale and duration of the case require coordinated global engagement.
The abduction on 14 April 2014, when the girls were taken from Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, sparked worldwide outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. Despite repeated government assurances that recovery efforts remain a priority, families say 87 girls are still believed to be missing.
