Parents of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram over a decade ago have expressed grief over the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari while renewing calls for the rescue of the remaining 87 girls still unaccounted for.
Speaking through a joint statement signed by Yana Galang and Zannah Mohammed, the grieving parents acknowledged Buhari’s role in securing the release of 103 of the kidnapped girls during his administration, which remains the highest number freed under any Nigerian government.
“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,” the statement read.
“But for many of us, our hopes were ultimately dashed, as 87 of our daughters are still missing.”
The girls were abducted in April 2014 from Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, in an attack that shocked the world and triggered the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. The campaign drew international outrage and brought global attention to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, particularly in the northeast.
According to the Association of the Parents of the Missing Chibok Girls, the figure of 87 girls still in captivity was verified by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation. The group urged the current administration to act beyond condolences and press statements.
“We call on the government to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to bring the remaining girls home,” the statement urged.
“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.”
Former President Muhammadu Buhari died on July 13 at a London hospital. He was buried on July 15 in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, according to Islamic rites.
Despite the various military operations launched over the years and ongoing de-radicalisation programmes, a significant number of schoolchildren remain missing from mass abductions across Nigeria’s conflict-ridden northeast.
