By James Christoff, Matias Schmale and Cristian Munduate
The abduction of 276 female students from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014 brought the plight of children in Northeast Nigeria to the forefront of international attention. The Chibok girls became a symbol of the conflict’s devastating impact on children in particular girls, and their continued captivity nine years later is a reminder that the crisis is far from over.
On the ninth anniversary of the abduction, the
world is once again reminded of the devastating impact of the ongoing armed
conflict in Northeast Nigeria on children.
96 Chibok girls remain in captivity, as well as a significant number of children abducted by non-state armed groups, notably, Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). As a global community, we cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of these children. We demand their unconditional release.
