A decade after the shocking abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has revealed that 91 of the girls remain in captivity or are still missing.
In a newly published inquiry report, the committee raised alarm over Nigeria’s continued failure to secure the safe return of the missing girls while highlighting the trauma, stigma, and lack of adequate support services for survivors.
The findings stem from a two-week confidential mission to Nigeria in December 2023, during which the CEDAW delegation carried out assessments in Abuja as well as Adamawa, Borno, Enugu, and Kaduna States.
“The committee finds grave and systematic violations persist after the Chibok mass abduction of schoolgirls,” the report stated. “Nigeria is responsible for grave and systematic violations of women’s and girls’ rights amid multiple mass abductions.”
The experts stressed that urgent measures must be taken to end torture, ill-treatment, and widespread violations of human rights that continue to affect women and girls in conflict-affected regions of the country.
The Chibok abduction in 2014 drew global outrage and sparked the #BringBackOurGirls movement, yet a significant number of families remain without closure. Survivors who regained their freedom are still struggling with the heavy burden of trauma and social stigma, often with little or no access to proper rehabilitation programs.
The UN’s latest findings serve as a stark reminder that ten years on, the scars of Chibok remain unhealed — and Nigeria still faces the urgent task of ensuring justice, accountability, and protection for its women and girls.
Comments
Post a Comment