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Tag: Chibok

  • FG says there’s still hope to locate Leah Sharibu, other Chibok girls

    FG says there’s still hope to locate Leah Sharibu, other Chibok girls

    The federal government of Nigeria has declared that it is still actively working towards securing the release of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls and Leah Sharibu.

    The assurance was given on Tuesday in Abuja by the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, while speaking at the multi-agency meeting on anti-kidnapping, organised in collaboration with the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency.

    Leah Sharibu was among the 110 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018.

    Also, 276 girls were abducted by Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014.

    While some of the victims have regained their freedom, Sharibu, the only Christian among the Dapchi girls, remains in captivity because she refused to denounce her faith.

    Also, 87 of the Chibok girls are still believed to be in captivity.

    Speaking on Tuesday, Major General Laka said the government has not given up on ensuring the safe return of the girls, stating that negotiations and operations are ongoing to this effect.

    He acknowledged that some of the kidnapped girls have been married off to the insurgents, but the government is still working on getting them home.

    He said, “Since when they were kidnapped, those who were rescued were not just rescued one time; It was a gradual process. Negotiations were done, trying to get them out. Operations were conducted.

    “Luckily, at the beginning of that, towards the year after they were kidnapped, I was in the theatre, and I know what the military and intelligence agencies put into rescue the initial set of the Chibok girls.

    “We haven’t given up hope on them; some of them were married to some of the insurgents. Some have come out. But let our focus not only be on the Chibok girls. There are others that have been kidnapped aid workers, Nigerian aid workers who were kidnapped. We’ve rescued some that are working for UNICEF.”

    Laka pointed out that the silence in the media does not equate to inaction or indifference on the part of the government.

    He said, “We’ve rescued some that are working for UNHCR and IOM and so on. Do you understand? So, we haven’t relented on our efforts.

    “There is the issue of this lady, Leah Shaibu. So, not because it’s not always in the press.

    “We are not always talking about it. It doesn’t mean we don’t care. It doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about them. We are still on it. Our prayer is that the whole 87 or 80 plus that are left will be rescued by God’s grace. ”

  • Chibok boils again as terrorists k!ll two in Borno church attack

    Chibok boils again as terrorists k!ll two in Borno church attack

    Suspected terrorists have killed two worshipers in Ekklesiyar Yanu’wa a Nigeria Church located in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno state.

    The Police Public Relations Officer for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, who confirmed the attack in Maiduguri, on Monday, said that the command has mounted surveillance and an armed team to restore confidence among residents of the area.

    He said, “We got a call from our Chibok Division. The report from them said the terrorist shot sporadically, and unfortunately, two persons died.

    “It was around 2 am, there was no worshipper in the church at the time of the attack. Aside from the church attack, they burnt down seven shops as part of their efforts to put fear in members of the public, “he narrated.

    He further added that aside from the two deaths, two others including Esther Yohanna and Ali Yohanna sustained gunshot injuries.

    “So far, we are keeping to the Inspector General of Police directive as regards the Ngazai attack.

    ” We have directed all human and logistics assets to be deployed to the axis (Chibok) to build confidence among people, “he added.

    Also, a statement on Sunday evening by the media team of the Chairman, Chibok Local Government, Mustapha Madu, said the terrorists attacked around 2:10 am on Sunday.

    The Chairman of Chibom LGA, Mustapha Madu, condoled with the family of the bereaved and also inspected all burnt houses, shops, and the church auditorium.

    Recall that it was the same Chibok that school girls were kidnapped while writing their exams in 2014.

  • 37 parents of missing Chibok girls died of heartbreak – Community laments

    37 parents of missing Chibok girls died of heartbreak – Community laments

    Nine years after Boko Haram abducted 276 students Chibok school girls, members of the  community in Borno State has said since the abduction, 37 parents of the missing girls have died of heartbreak.

    A parent of one of the girls, Pogu Yaga who stated this said most of the parents, especially those whose children are still in captivity are slowly dying from worry and heartbreak.

    He said this yesterday in Abuja at the media screening of ‘Nine Years, Life after Chibok Abduction,’ a movie by the Women Radio who visited Chibok and spoke to a survivor, parents, and siblings on life after the abduction.

    He said, “37 parents have died so far. When you come to Chibok, you would see that they are all dying from worry and heartbreak.

    “Thank God that the former governor of our state, Kashim Shettima is the present Vice-President-elect, we are calling on him and pleading for the rescue of the remaining girls as he tried doing during his tenure as governor.

    “We trust in the President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, he has always been there for us and we know that we would not be abandoned now.”

    Chief Executive Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal said it was unfortunate that the government had abdicated its responsibilities to civil societies and individuals.

    Lawal said we must continue to hold the government accountable to its responsibilities.

    Founder Invictus, Bukky Shonibare said the conversation with the incoming administration has to be based on a nine-point agenda.

    According to her, the points are, to make them communicate with the parents of the abducted girls and of Leah Sharibu, accountability in terms of money allocated and spent on the Chibok incident, accountability on the missing girls themselves, the victims’ support fund and what it is used for and the level of psychosocial support available to the girls and their families.

    The agenda also includes, modalities that have been put in place as a result of the Chibok incident to avoid a repeat of such incidents, accountability in terms of the abduction, a public statement on the missing girls nine years after and a discussion on the safe school initiative.

    On April 14, 2014, the Boko Haram terrorists abducted 276 girls from the dormitory of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok.

    They had rushed in on motorcycles and bicycles and began to open fire on residents of the village.

    They created widespread panic, burnt down houses and destroyed other valuable assets, and then seizing the girls from the boarding school.

    According to report, So far, 178 of the girls have escaped but sadly, many of them suffered serious violations as they returned home traumatised, some with children sired by Boko Haram terrorists.

  • Army rescues Chibok girl married to two Boko Haram terrorists in captivity

    Army rescues Chibok girl married to two Boko Haram terrorists in captivity

    The Nigerian Army on Monday announced the rescue of another Chibok girl, Saratu Dauda, abducted with others at Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno, in 2014.

    The Theatre Commander, North-East Joint Operation Hadin Kai, Maj.- Gen. Ibrahim Ali, made this known while briefing newsmen at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.

    Ali said that Saratu was rescued on May 6, by troops of 21 Armoured Brigade during clearance Operation at Ukuba in Sambisa Forest in Bama Local Government Area of Borno.

    He said that the 25-year-old Saratu, listed as serial number 10 on the list of the abducted victims, was a native of Mbalala community in Chibok local government area.

    “She was once married to one Abou Yusuf who she later divorced before getting married to one Ba’ana Muhammad, also known as Abou Zinira, the Boko Haram terrorists IED expert.

    “She had three daughters aged 7, 5 and 2 years old with Ba’ana, but left them in the terrorists hideouts during her escape.

    “She has within the past 10 days undergone intensive medical care and checks at the military hospital in Maimalari. She will be handed over to the officials of the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs.

    “So far, efforts to rescue her children and other victims were still ongoing,” he said.

    He also recalled the recent presentation two other Chibok girls rescued by the troops.

    “Consequently, on 4th May this year  Hauwa Maltha and Esther Marcus, both serial numbers two and 103 on the list of the missing victims, and three of their children were handed over to the officials of the Borno State Government,” he said.

    According to him, their rescue among other several women and children were largely driven by the Kinetic and Non-Kinetic activities of Operation Hadin Kai, especially in the ongoing Operation Desert and Lake Sanity II.

    “As of today, the statistics of the 276 abducted Chibok girls indicate that 57 girls escaped in 2014; 107 released in 2018; three were rescued in 2019, two were recovered in 2021; 11 girls were rescued in 2022 and three rescued so far in 2023. This brings to 182 out of captivity remaining 93 unaccounted for.

    “At this juncture let me state that the joint efforts of Operation Hadin kai under the strategic guidance of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief Air Staff, has continued to yield more Operational successes in the North Eastern Region of Nigeria,” he said.

    He also lauded the support  of the Borno government and assured the people of the Northeast of the commitment of the military to contain the insurgency in the region.

    Responding after receiving the rescued Chibok girl, the state Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, lauded the military for the successes being recorded, particularly in rescuing the girls.

    Gambo said that the chibok girl, like others, would undergo rehabilitation under the ministry before handing over to her family.

  • Chibok “nightmare” continues 9 years after – UNICEF laments

    Chibok “nightmare” continues 9 years after – UNICEF laments

    The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has described as “nightmare” 96 out of 276 Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram militants from their dormitory in Northeast Nigeria who are still in captivity after nine years.

    The “Chibok girls” were kidnapped on the night of April 14, 2014, sparking worldwide condemnation and concern.

    The UN children’s agency, in a statement on Friday, said conflict in that part of Nigeria had continued to affect girls and boys.

    Meanwhile, thousands more girls and boys have been subjected to grave violations amid ongoing conflict in the region, UNICEF added, underscoring the need to protect children in Nigeria.

    On April 7, some 80 children were abducted by militants in the Tsafe Local Government Area in Zamfara State, the UN agency said, citing local media.

    Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, says the “nightmare” continues today as many children are still being kidnapped, forcibly recruited, killed and injured.

    “We cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of Nigeria’s children. We must do everything in our power to ensure they grow up in safety, with access to education and the opportunity to fulfill their potential,” he said.

    Since 2014, there have been over 2,400 verified incidents of grave violations affecting 6,800 children in northeast Nigeria, UNICEF reported.

    The most common concern recruitment by armed groups, followed by abductions, and killing and maiming.

    The conflict has had an alarming impact on education, and UNICEF warned that the repercussions would likely affect generations.

    Between 2009 and 2022, roughly 2,295 teachers were reportedly killed in attacks, and more than 19,000 were displaced, according to the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TCN).

    Additionally, more than 1,500 schools were closed, and 910 were destroyed, due to insecurity.

    UNICEF has welcomed the government’s signing of an agency-supported protocol on the handover of children encountered in the course of armed conflict, as well as its commitment to invest more than 314 million dollars towards a financing plan on school safety.

    The handover protocol signed last September, aims to prevent or reduce the detention of children encountered by military and security forces.

    Under the agreement, children allegedly associated with armed groups will be transferred to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development within a period of seven days.

    UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and human rights law, and to protect the rights and well-being of children.

  • BREAKING: Borno assembly member-elect from Chibok is dead

    BREAKING: Borno assembly member-elect from Chibok is dead

    Mr. Nuhu Clark, a member-elect for Chibok constituency in the Borno House of Assembly, is dead.

    According to reports, the deceased died in India on Monday, while undergoing treatment.

    Babakura Abbajatau, The state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information, and Culture, confirmed the development in an interview with NAN in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

    Abbajatau said that the state government would soon make an official statement after speaking with the family of the deceased.

    While mourning the deceased, the Borno Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur, described the death as a huge loss to his immediate family, people of Southern Borno and the state at large.

    Kadafur described the death as a great loss to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in view of his outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the state.

    He commiserated with the immediate family of the late politician, and prayed to the Almighty God to give the family the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.

    Clark was a former Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation before resigning on April 25, 2022, to contest the Chibok State Constituency election on the platform of APC.

  • PHOTO: Troops find Chibok girl kidnapped in 2014 during patrol

    The Nigerian Army has said troops of the 26 Task Force Brigade have found Mrs Mary Ngoshe, who is believed to be one of the girls kidnapped in 2014 from Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS), Chibok, Borno State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) recalls that Boko Haram insurgents attacked the GGSS in the middle of the night on the fateful day in 2014 and abducted 276 schoolgirls while they were preparing for their terminal examination.

    The incident was followed by a global outcry that birthed the #BringBackOurGirls movement, and despite continued efforts to secure the freedom of the girls, only 103 had been rescued before Ngoshe is now found.

    According to the Nigerian Army, she was found with her son around Ngoshe in Borno State on 14 June 2022 withe the Army saying further exploitation was ongoing.

    See photo below:

  • ISWAP attacks Chibok, three persons feared killed

    ISWAP attacks Chibok, three persons feared killed

    A traditional ruler’s son and two internally displaced persons hosted in Kautikari village of Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State have been killed during an invasion of the village by fighters of the Islamic State for West African Province, ISWAP, on Friday.

    Locals who fled the village gave the name of the traditional ruler’s son as Mr Bulama Wadir.

    Recall that Kautikari was attacked in December 2021 and January 2022 where women and children were taken. Also, a church in the community was razed by the insurgents during the attacks.

    A local, Barka Amos, told DAILY POST that the situation is better despite the recent attack compared to what they have experienced in the past. However, he said, he could not understand why the insurgents are so particular about Kautikari village.

    “I was born here, I have no other place to go and I am tired of running. These people attacked this village all these years and I have been on the run ever since. I think I should stop running at 56 years old,” he said.

    According to him, he did not move from his house when his kinsmen took to their heels when they heard the first gunshot.

    “My brother and brother-in-law fled. They asked me to come with them but I refused. It is not about being brave. It is about getting tired of running. I have seen people who run and get killed. I reserved myself to fate now,” he added.

    Kautikari, just a few kilometres away from Chibok town, came under deadly attacks and abductions of over 10 people mostly women and children on 1st January 2022, setting ablaze one of the largest churches in the community bordering Sambisa Forest.

    Amos said he had buried many of his kinsmen and relations who were killed by Boko Haram, adding that many of their sons and daughters abducted are still nowhere to be found.

    He said, “Government has abandoned us. The insurgents always come and do whatever they want and go back to come back another day. There was no time that security operatives came to defend us here, none that I could recall. All you here is the same story.”

    Attacks in Chibok areas and particularly the recent one in January 2022 made the Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, visit the area and encourage the people as well as the security operatives stationed in the local government.

    During his visits, the governor met with the families of 22 women and two men abducted by the insurgents where he encouraged them and asked them to continue to trust in God through prayers.

  • UNICEF welcomes release of 4 girls abducted in Borno

    UNICEF welcomes release of 4 girls abducted in Borno

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has welcomed the release of four of the 22 women recently abducted by insurgents in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno.
    Newsmen reports that 22 women and two men were abducted by insurgents in three separate attacks on Pemi, Kautikari and Korohuma areas of Chibok last month.
    A statement by Information Officer, UNICEF Maiduguri Field Office, Folashade Adebayo, said the organisation has urged for the immediate release of all captives.
    “UNICEF is very relieved for the released girls and their families. After their harrowing experience, it is good news that the girls are back with their families and friends, where they belong.
    “But sadly, dozens of children in northeastern Nigeria remain in captivity; the victims of an armed conflict they have nothing to do with. This is unconscionable.
    “Children have the right to a safe environment, health, education and freedom from abuse and torture – all of which remain compromised when they are in captivity,’’ the statement quoted Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria as saying.
    It decried how children in Nigeria continue to face violation of their rights, including abductions, torture, killings, recruitment into armed groups, and forced marriages, among others.
    It said that from 2014 no fewer than 1,000 children have been abducted with about 100 still missing or unaccounted for.
    “Between December and July of last year, at least 1,450 children were abducted, most from their schools across central and northwest regions of the country,” the statement said.

  • 110 abducted Chibok girls still unaccounted for – Community says

    110 abducted Chibok girls still unaccounted for – Community says

    The Kibaku (Chibok) Area Development Association (KADA), on behalf of the entire Chibok Community, on Saturday in Abuja indicated that 110 of the 276 girls abducted in April, 2014, are still unaccounted for.

    This indication was given in Abuja on Saturday by the President of KADA, Dauda lliya, at a press conference.

    Iliya said of the 276 girls abducted, 57 escaped from their abductors.

    He added that 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 to its own devices by all layers of government in Nigeria.

    “Right from late 2012 up to this time, the statistics of the state of damage and destruction of lives and property inflicted on the Community presents a worrisome and pathetic picture,” he lamented.

    Iliya said over 72 persons have been killed, and over 407 persons abducted, houses, business premises, and churches burnt, while over 20 vehicles were stolen and many grains barns burnt or destroyed.

    “From late 2018 to date, the frequency of attacks and level of destruction have escalated and are simply alarming.

    “Just this year (2022) alone, Kautikari (second largest town in Chibok area) was attacked on January 14 with five girls abducted, three persons killed, many houses and churches burnt.

    “In sustaining their carnage, Piyemi, another big town in Chibok area, was attacked on January 20 with 19 persons mostly girls abducted and one person, the Vigilante leader, beheaded,” he stated.

    Iliya called on the Federal Government for support, saying in a press release, themed “Echoes from Chibok: rescue us from total annihilation by the Boko Haram’, that “Government should seek for support to synergize with our security forces in confronting this menace so as to end the sustained carnage on our people.

    “By so doing, we expect our remaining 110 daughters abducted in 2014 and numerous others subsequently abducted at different times to be brought back to us.

    “We appeal to the Federal Government to immediately set up Internally Displaced Persons Camps in Chibok town and provide Chibok with skills acquisition centre so as to avoid imminent hunger/starvation in Chibok.

    “We request the Federal government to order deployment of more military personnel and better arms to Chibok to halt the continuous attacks on the community.

    “We also appeal to our action Governor to do more in organizing and helping our people in securing our state in general and Chibok in particular,” Iliya stated.

    He called on the media to help them highlight their plights, saying “we count on you to continue to be voice for the voiceless in this struggle for our lives and acting as our megaphone in spreading these cries where our voices are unable to reach.

    “Finally, we hereby express our heartfelt condolences to the Nigerian Army theater command, Maiduguri, for the loss of our gallant soldiers including the very brave Brig.-Gen. B. K. Zirkushu, who lost their lives in Askira protecting our people against the invading terrorists on November 13, 2021,” he said.

    Iliya said that the entire Chibok Community, is using this medium to once again call on President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue Chibok Community, an ethnic nationality, from total annihilation by the Boko Haram Terrorists.