The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) reports that 91 Chibok schoolgirls remain in captivity or are still missing, ten years after their abduction by Boko Haram in Nigeria. The committee’s recent inquiry, based on a two‑week confidential mission to Nigeria in December 2023, highlights the ongoing trauma and social stigma faced by many survivors, who have limited access to support services.
During the mission, the CEDAW delegation conducted assessments in several states—Adamawa, Borno, Enugu, and Kaduna—and met with officials from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and the Police Service Commission. The team also visited an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Abuja, where they interviewed victims of abductions by Boko Haram and other armed groups.
The report documents systematic violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Nigeria, especially in the context of mass abductions. CEDAW Chair Nahla Haidar emphasized that the Chibok abduction was not an isolated incident but part of a decade‑long pattern of mass kidnappings targeting schools and communities across northern Nigeria. Since the Chibok incident, at least 1,400 students have been kidnapped from schools, often for ransom, forced marriage, trafficking, or prisoner exchange.
Harsh conditions endured by the Chibok girls in captivity included inadequate food, beatings, forced marriage, and religious conversion. Survivors of abductions by other armed groups faced high risks of sexual violence, repeated rape, and physical abuse. Outcomes after release varied: some girls received rehabilitation, counseling, and schooling, while others were left without any support or care.
CEDAW urges the Nigerian government to take urgent measures to rescue the remaining 91 Chibok girls and all other abducted women and girls, and to adequately fund and equip the police force to protect them from mass abduction. The committee also calls for destigmatizing survivors—especially rape victims and their children—and for criminalizing abduction and marital rape across all 36 states. Additionally, the report stresses the need for proactive steps to prevent targeted attacks on schools and communities, protect schoolgirls from kidnapping, and ensure their right to education.
The full inquiry report, including detailed findings and recommendations, is available online and provides a comprehensive account of the systematic violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Nigeria and the measures needed to address them.
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