After 5 years: 11 facts about you should know about abducted Chibok schoolgirls
Nigeria was thrown into great mourning when 276 school girls were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, a local government area in Borno state, five years ago by the Boko Haram insurgent group.
Not only was the world angered by the abduction, they wondered what would be the fate of the innocent girls that were taken.
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About 60 girls escaped in the commotion during the abduction, while others were released years after. However, reports have it that about 100 are still missing till date.
As the country marks the fifth year that Chibok girls were kidnapped on Sunday, April 14, it is necessary to reflect on the situation and know some facts about the Chibok girls and the terrorist group.
Here are 11 facts you should know about it all:
1. The school girls abducted were between the ages of 14 to 25 and were kidnapped from a school in Chibok local government area in Borno.
2. The Boko Haram insurgent group was formerly known as amā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād and was founded by Muhammaed Yusuf in 2002.
3. The abduction of the school girls happened on Monday, April 14, 2014, the first school day for the girls in the week.
4. The insurgent group has killed more than 20,000 people, kidnapped thousands, and internally displaced about 2 million people who have been forced to flee their homes.
5. The #BringBackOurGirls campaign was launched after the girls were abducted and convened by Obiagelii Ezekwesili. The campaign gained international attention when former First Lady Michelle Obama and other celebrities tweeted about it sometime in 2014.
6. The first girl to be rescued by the military and local vigilante group was Amina Ali, aged 21 at the time, with her four-month old baby.
7. About two years after in October 2016, 21 girls were released after mediation effort by Nigerian lawyer and teacher, Zannah Mustapha, who was later given a UN award for his gesture.
8. A year after, the 21 girls were released, 82 others were given their freedom in May 2017 after another mediation was made and some money reportedly paid to the insurgent group.
9. In January 2018, the insurgent group made a video that reportedly showed five Chibok girls with their babies, saying they do not want to return home because they find joy where they are with the terrorists.
10. Haruna Yahaya was the first person to face justice for the abduction as he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in February 2018.
11. Jumai, a 35-year-old who was kidnapped before the abduction of the Chibok girls said she had lived with six of the girls during their captivity.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Rebecca, the mother of Leah Sharibu, the only girl remaining of the abducted Dapachi school girls by Boko Haram, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfill the promise he made to her that her daughter will be released.
Rebecca Sharibu said that by Tuesday, February 19, it will be a year since her daughter had been in the captivity of the insurgent group.
She therefore begged the president to make sure her daughter is released before the said date so does not remain with her insurgent group for a year.
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Source: Legit.ng
