Two Nigerian Schoolgirls Return Home Seven Years After Abduction

The army has handed over Hassana Adamu, along with her two children, to Governor Babagana Zulum, one week after his office announced that another of the victims had been freed and reunited with her parents. On July 28, 2021, Ruth Ngladar Pogu and a man she is said to have married in captivity surrendered to the Nigerian military, according to officials. Ruth now has two children. The  Chibok schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram militants more than seven years ago.

The abduction of 276 girls by Boko Haram on April 14, 2014, sparked a global outcry. The girls were sleeping at their school, awaiting exams, when they were taken and at least 100 girls are still being held captive by the militants. 

Abduction has become rampant in many parts of Nigeria. The northern part of the country has increasingly become a hub for large criminal gangs who raid villages, killing and abducting residents after looting and torching homes. More than 700 children and students have already been kidnapped by gunmen for ransom since December 2020. Some have been freed, while others remain missing.