Ten years ago today, the world was shaken by the horrific kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls in the town of Chibok, Borno State.
This unconscionable act of evil, carried out by the Boko Haram terrorist group, sparked global outrage and a rallying cry to "Bring Back Our Girls."
A decade later, as we reflect on this dark anniversary, it is clear that the fight to rescue and recover these young women is far from over.
When news of the Chibok abduction first broke on that fateful night of April 14, 2014, it sent shockwaves through Nigeria and the international community. Boko Haram, the Islamist extremist organization wreaking havoc across northern Nigeria, had struck at the heart of the country's education system, robbing innocent girls of their basic right to learn and grow.
The world watched in horror as images and videos of the terrified schoolchildren circulated, their families pleading for their safe return.
In the days and weeks that followed, a global movement ignited, with high-profile figures like Michelle Obama lending their voices to the "Bring Back Our Girls" campaign.
For a moment, it seemed like the international pressure and outrage might force the federal government's hand, prompting a swift and decisive rescue operation. Sadly, that was not to be.
Over the past decade, the grim reality is that the majority of the Chibok girls remain in captivity.
According to UNICEF, 96 girls are still unaccounted for, their whereabouts unknown, their families wracked with unimaginable anguish.
The few who have managed to escape or were released have had to grapple with the physical and psychological scars of their ordeal, their dreams and aspirations forever altered by the trauma they endured.
But the Chibok abduction was not an isolated incident. In the years since, the scourge of child kidnappings in Nigeria has only intensified, with armed groups and criminal gangs targeting schools across the northern region of the country.
According to Save the Children, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO),more than 1,600 children have been abducted or kidnapped in northern Nigeria since 2014, a statistic that speaks to the systemic failure to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
In the face of this ongoing crisis, the federal government's response has been woefully inadequate.
Despite promises and pledges, the search for the missing Chibok girls has lacked the urgency and resourcefulness required to bring them home.
And the broader issue of school safety has only grown more dire, with criminal gangs known as "bandits" terrorizing communities and snatching children from their classrooms.
In the considered opinion of this newspaper, the failure to safeguard Nigeria's schools is not just a tragedy, but a fundamental betrayal of the country's future.
Education is the cornerstone of progress and development, yet for far too many young Nigerians, the pursuit of knowledge has become a daily gamble with their lives. The psychological toll on these children, forced to weigh their safety against their thirst for learning, is incalculable.
As we mark this grim anniversary, it is incumbent upon President Bola Tinubu and his administration to make the rescue of the remaining Chibok girls, as well as all other abducted children, an absolute priority.
In our view, the time for half-measures and empty promises has long since passed. Nigeria must deploy every resource at its disposal, drawing upon regional and international cooperation, to bring these girls home and restore a sense of security in the country's education system.
But the solution cannot be limited to the immediate crisis. Deeper, systemic reforms are needed to address the root causes of this epidemic of school kidnappings.
Strengthening security in vulnerable regions, improving intelligence-gathering, and cracking down on the criminal networks that profit from these abductions must all be part of a comprehensive strategy.
Equally crucial is the need to invest in the resilience and well-being of these communities. The trauma inflicted on the families of the Chibok girls, and the countless others like them, must be met with robust mental health support and long-term rehabilitation programs.
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Only then can these young victims begin to rebuild their lives and reclaim their stolen dreams.
The Chibok girls' abduction was a watershed moment that exposed the fragility of Nigeria's social fabric and the urgent need for transformative change.
A decade on, the scars remain raw, and the sense of betrayal and abandonment lingers. But in the face of such unimaginable adversity, the indomitable spirit of the Nigerian people has shone through.
As we look to the future, let the 10th anniversary of the Chibok abduction be a call to action - a moment to rededicate ourselves to the fight for justice, for safety, and for the fundamental right of every child in Nigeria to pursue their education without fear.
The road ahead may be long and arduous, but the cause is just, and the stakes could not be higher. For the sake of the Chibok girls, and all those whose lives have been forever altered by this crisis, we must prevail.
