12 Years After Chibok Abduction, 89 Girls Still Missing

…MMF faults slow rescue efforts, warns tragedy now symbolises national neglect

Twelve years after the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, 89 of them are still missing, as the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) yesterday raised alarm over what it described as dwindling rescue efforts and fading global attention.

Marking the anniversary of the April 14, 2014 attack, the Foundation said the prolonged captivity of the remaining girls highlights unresolved security gaps and a troubling decline in urgency by both national and international actors.

MMF disclosed that 187 of the abducted girls have either escaped or been rescued over the years, while more than 40 children were born in captivity and later returned with their mothers.

However, it expressed concern that efforts to secure the release of the remaining girls have stalled, noting that no Chibok girl has been recovered in the past year.

Chief Executive Officer of MMF, Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, said the incident has outgrown its immediate context, becoming a symbol of institutional failure.

“Chibok has become more than a place or a moment in time. It is now a metaphor for neglect—of responsibility, of accountability, and of our collective empathy,” she said.

The Foundation noted that while the abduction once sparked global outrage, it now reflects a broader failure to sustain attention and deliver on commitments made to victims and their families.

It warned that repeated abductions of schoolchildren across the country have deepened fears among parents and weakened confidence in the safety of education, particularly for the girl-child.

MMF called on the Federal Government to urgently scale up efforts to locate the remaining girls and ensure transparency in ongoing operations.

It also urged the international community, including the United Nations, to renew coordinated support for the protection of children and education in conflict-affected areas.

The Foundation stressed that the impact of the abduction remains far-reaching, with survivors and their families still grappling with trauma, disrupted education and uncertain futures.

“Chibok must not be remembered only as a tragedy. It must remain a call to action. Until every missing girl is accounted for, this responsibility remains unfinished,” Oyebode added.

Of the 276 schoolgirls abducted on April 14, 2014, 187 have regained freedom, while 89 remain unaccounted for.