2024-04-13 23:09:00
Nigerian authorities must intensify efforts to ensure the release and safe return of the 82 Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram fighters in 2014 and remain captive, and ensure the protection of schools from kidnappings. boys and girls, who are increasingly common in the 10 years since the armed group’s well-known incursion into northern Nigeria, Amnesty International said.
Today marks 10 years since the abduction of 276 girls from Chibok Secondary School in Borno State on 14 April 2014. Since then, Amnesty International has documented at least 17 cases of mass abductions in which a minimum of 1,700 boys and girls have been kidnapped from their schools by armed men and taken to the jungle, where, in many cases, they have been subjected to serious abuse, including rape.
“It is scandalous that in the 10 years since the Chibok school hijacking, the Nigerian authorities have learned nothing and taken no effective steps to prevent attacks on schools. The number of kidnappings that have taken place since 2014, including as recently as last month, and the fact that hundreds of children remain in the custody of armed men, demonstrates the lack of political will on the part of the authorities. to address the problem,” said Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
“The kidnapping of children and attacks on schools can constitute war crimes. The Nigerian authorities have an obligation to put an end to these attacks, bring the alleged perpetrators to justice in fair trials and ensure victims’ access to justice and effective remedies. “A decade is enough time for the Nigerian authorities to find a solution to this problem but, so far, reality shows that the government has neither the will nor the commitment to put an end to these attacks on children and their schools.”
After the Chibok abductions, the Safe Schools Initiative was launched to improve security in schools. However, its implementation has stalled due to bureaucratic obstacles and allegations of corruption. Consequently, many states in the north of the country have closed hundreds of schools indefinitely, interrupting the education of thousands of boys and girls.
Amnesty International research reveals that the education situation in Chibok and surrounding communities continues to suffer the effects of the 2014 abductions.
The Borno State Government rebuilt the Chibok Government Girls Secondary School, which was burned to the ground by Boko Haram in 2014, and created day secondary schools and a technical school in Chibok. However, academic activities in schools remain minimal because parents are still wary of sending their sons and daughters to school, for fear that they will be kidnapped by Boko Haram.
Forced to marry their kidnappers
Amnesty International also calls on the Nigerian authorities to immediately, thoroughly, impartially, independently, transparently and effectively investigate allegations of forced marriages between 20 Chibok women rescued in the last two years and former Boko Haram fighters at a center provided by the Borno state government in Maiduguri. The father of one of the women confirmed to Amnesty International that the forced marriages had taken place.
A parent of one of the girls forced to marry former Boko Haram fighters told Amnesty International:
“I don’t want a situation where if I speak out, the government or Boko Haram will say that we colluded with others to reveal problems to the public. “I can speak anonymously but I won’t even share anything.”
The Borno State Government claims that these Boko Haram fighters have undergone rehabilitation and reintegrated into society under the conflict recovery program for repentant Boko Haram fighters.
“It is deplorable that these freed Chibok girls are forced to marry and live with their kidnappers. These forced marriages, organized by the Borno State government, are apparently an attempt to appease Boko Haram fighters with complete disregard for the rights and mental well-being of the affected girls,” said Isa Sanusi.
Parents and relatives of the girls who remain captive said they had been abandoned by the government, and cited a lack of information about attempts to secure the safe release of their sons and daughters from Boko Haram.
The Nigerian authorities must fulfill their national and international human rights obligations by immediately redoubling efforts to ensure the release and safe return not only of the 82 Chibok girls abducted 10 years ago, but also of all people who remain captive in the power of armed men in Nigeria.
“As we mark the anniversary of these abductions, the Nigerian government must implement a comprehensive and effective plan to protect schools and children. Authorities must also prioritize helping girls who escaped or were rescued from Boko Haram to rebuild their lives. They must not ignore the ongoing anguish of fathers and mothers whose daughters remain captive and must ensure that these persons are periodically informed of the actions taken to ensure the release and safe return of their sons and daughters.”, stated Isa Sanusi.
In a report to be published next month, Amnesty International will document crimes and human rights violations committed by Boko Haram and the Nigerian armed forces against girls linked, or perceived to be linked, to Boko Haram since the conflict began in the northeastern Nigeria in 2013. The report will also detail their specific reintegration needs and aspirations to rebuild their lives.
Additional information
In April 2014, 276 schoolgirls were abducted from a government secondary school in Chibok town, Borno State. Some escaped captivity on their own, while others were later released after an intense campaign by civil society organizations and government negotiations. However, of those initially kidnapped, 82 remain in captivity, while several boys and girls have been kidnapped in subsequent attacks. Amnesty International has been documenting the atrocities committed by Boko Haram and attacks on schools since 2012. In May 2020, the organization also published a report about the terrible impact that the conflict in northwest Nigeria has on children.
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