Parents of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls have appealed to the Federal Government, Borno State authorities, the United Nations, and the international community to intensify efforts toward securing the release of those still in captivity.
The call came as the Murtala Muhammed Foundation expressed concern over what it described as declining global focus and accountability more than a decade after the abduction of 276 students from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.
Gunmen had on April 14, 2014, stormed the school and whisked away the girls, sparking outrage both locally and internationally and giving rise to the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
In an open letter dated Monday and signed by Yana Galang and Zanna Lawan on behalf of the affected families, the parents said dozens of the girls were still unaccounted for, stressing that the tragedy remained unresolved.
“For us, this is not history but a painful, ongoing reality,” the letter noted, adding that the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the missing girls had persisted despite the passage of time.
The families urged relevant authorities to renew search efforts and ensure transparency in handling the matter.
Similarly, the foundation, in a statement marking the anniversary, said the incident had become symbolic of broader systemic lapses, noting that many of the abducted girls had yet to be found years later.
It stated that while several of the victims had either escaped or been rescued over time, a significant number remained in captivity, with some returning with children born during their ordeal.
Speaking on the development, the foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, lamented the apparent slowdown in rescue efforts, noting that there had been no confirmed recovery of any of the girls in the past year.
She described the Chibok abduction as a reflection of both security and institutional failures, warning against diminishing attention to the plight of the victims and their families.
According to her, the incident now represents a broader challenge of sustaining commitment to justice and accountability.
The foundation further warned that recurring abductions of schoolchildren across parts of the country had heightened fears among parents and undermined confidence in the safety of education, particularly for girls in conflict-prone regions.
It called for renewed collaboration between Nigerian authorities and international partners to enhance efforts aimed at rescuing the remaining victims and preventing future incidents.
The group also highlighted the long-term impact of the abduction on survivors and their communities, citing disrupted education, psychological trauma, and uncertain futures.
“Chibok should remain a call to action,” Oyebode said, urging stakeholders not to relent until every missing girl is accounted for.
