Chibok Parents Mourn Buhari, Acknowledge Role in Largest Girls’ Rescue, Call for Action on Remaining 87.
Ten days after the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Association of the Parents of the Missing Chibok Girls has acknowledged the efforts of the late president ‘s administration in the rescuing of 103 out of 219 girls kidnapped at the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok Borno State in 2014, and taken into Sambisa forest, Boko Haram’s enclave.
In a statement signed by Yana Galang and Zannah Mohammed respectively on Tuesday, the parents of the yet to be returned school girls called for renewed national commitment to the safe return of the 87 girls still unaccounted for since the abductions in 2014.
The parents expressed solemn condolences to Buhari’s family and “acknowledged the progress made under his leadership of the country during which 103 abducted Chibok schoolgirls were rescued or released—the highest number secured under any Nigerian administration since the 2014 mass abduction by Boko Haram.”
“When President Buhari took office in 2015, we held onto cautious hope as some of our girls were returned during his tenure, and for those reunions and efforts, we are quietly grateful. But for many of us, our hopes were ultimately dashed,as 87 of our daughters are still missing.”
The statement further called on Nigeria to “move beyond rhetoric” and take meaningful action to secure the release of these remaining girls. The figure of 87 still missing is based on verified data from the Murtala Muhammed Foundation.
“As we mourn our former leader, we reflect on a painful chapter in our national history. The journey is not over. Our call remains: Bring Back Our Girls—every single one.”
Signed,
Yana Galang and Zannah Mohammed
On behalf of the Association of the Parents of the Missing Chibok Girls
