Nigeria: Dapchi and the Agony of Refusing to Learn Lessons

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On the evening of Monday, February 19th, 2018 Boko Haram terrorists attacked the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, in Yobe State and kidnapped 110 out of the 926 students in the school. What happened subsequently was shameful. In the days following the abduction, various conflicting accounts emerged of the number of missing female students, ranging from 50 to 111. Nigerians were told that that over 40 girls who fled into the bush in the aftermath of the attack had returned in small numbers. The State Governor announced that the girls had been found only for him to retract his statement later creating more anguish in the hearts of parents and relations of the girls. The authorities were unable to give the number of girls abducted and frustrated parents realizing that the authorities were thoroughly disorganized had to step up, organise themselves and do a head count of the missing girls. Days after the number counted by the parents, the Minister of Information then announced a confirmation of the incident and number of missing girls.

Four years after the massacre of fifty-nine male students at Buni Yadi and as we approach the forth year in captivity for the 112 Chibok schoolgirls, it is shocking that we have not learnt lessons of how to make our schools safe. It was agonising to hear one of the Dapchi girls interviewed on radio say she will never return to school. I cannot blame her if, as is the case, school remains the place where you can be kidnapped and sold into slavery and sexual violence. How come Boko Haram terrorists in amy camouflage uniforms and trucks were allowed to roam around and carry out an operation that lasted for hours and no help came. According to the girls, the words Allahu Akbar was written on the trucks and the men had no boots, so many of the students were able to work out they were not real soldiers. How come no security personnel could identify the assailants as they drove through many communities to get to the school? How come the army moved out of the theatre of action just a few days before the attack?

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