Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari (C) sits with Aisha Buhari, the new first lady of Nigeria (3rd L) and outgoing president Goodluck Jonathan (R) during his inauguration in Abuja, Nigeria 29 May 2015. Muhammadu Buhari was inuagurated as president of Nigeria at a ceremony in the capital Abuja. May 30, 2015| Credit: Anadolu AgencyThree years after they were kidnapped by Boko Haram on 14 April 2014, the Chibok girls remain in captivity on 14 April 2017, and President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to power two years ago, vowing to rescue them, has failed to keep his words.
For now, only about 24 girls (about 11 percent) have been rescued and found while 195 remain missing. Nineteen of them have died so far, said one of the campaigners, Bukky Shonibare.
Boko Haram on 14 April 2014 stormed a school in the middle of the night in Chibok, about 130 kilometres from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and packed the girls into trucks and drove into the Sambisa forest.
President Goodluck Jonathan who was defeated by President Buhari first dismissed the kidnap as a ploy by his opponents to blackmail his government, and then under global outrage from the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners promised to rescue them, failed.
President Buhari came to power and fought Boko Haram tooth and nail, taking territories from them, but also has failed to rescue 195 girls, although he said the war against Boko Haram would not be said to have been won unless the Chibok girls were rescued.
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Friday, called for concerted efforts to bring back the over 200 school girls that were abducted from their secondary school in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State three years ago.
Speaking on the third year anniversary of the abductionof the girls, Saraki pledged that the Senate will continue to do everything within its power to advocate for the return of the remaining Chibok girls — stating that their safe return will signify the closure of a dark chapter in Nigeria’s history.
“I speak on behalf of all Nigerians who truly care, mothers and fathers especially, who cannot imagine the pain of not knowing whether or not one’s abducted child is alive or not,” the Senate President said, “I know that this government is continuing to explore all options to secure the release of the remaining girls. We will continue to support the administration’s efforts in every way that we can.”
The Senate President also expressed optimism that one day, all the Chibok Girls will be returned back to their loved ones, while reassuring Nigerians and the international community that Nigeria will not stop looking for its missing school girls.
“They are our daughters. We will not stop looking for them. We will not give up the fight until they return back home to us,” he said, “Until that day, we will all continue to watch and pray for their safe return.”
For the Emir of Kano who spoke in a recorded message said the Chibok girls saga epitomises the struggles of Nigerian girls and women, and raises questions about governance in Nigeria.
He listed some of the struggles Nigerian women are going through, including equality at work, domestic violence and arbitrary divorce.
Emir Sanusi sent his daughter to represent him at the event.