The return of the abducted Chibok girls is a story of hope and resilience. In 2014, more than 270 girls were abducted from the town of Chibok in north-eastern Borno state by Islamist militants Boko Haram. Over the years, more than 100 of them have been freed or managed to escape, but many are still missing.
Recently, there have been reports of some of the girls returning home. One such girl is Ruth Ngladar Pogu, who surrendered to the Nigerian military along with a man she is said to have married in captivity. The couple has two children and Ruth is now undergoing a rehabilitation and reintegration programme that focuses on her health and psychological wellbeing¹.
In another instance, two Nigerian women, Hauwa Maltha and Esther Marcus, both 26 years old, were rescued by the Nigerian military after being abducted as schoolgirls nine years ago. They were among the 276 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants in April 2014 from the government girls’ secondary school in the village of Chibok. Both women were forcibly married to extremists while in captivity and had children after either being forced into marriage or losing hope of ever regaining their freedom.
The return of these girls brings hope to the families of those still missing and serves as a reminder that the fight against extremist violence in Nigeria is far from over.
The Nigerian government and military must continue their efforts to rescue the remaining girls and bring an end to the violence that has plagued the region for over a decade.
The resilience and strength shown by these girls in the face of unimaginable adversity is truly inspiring and their stories serve as a beacon of hope for all those affected by conflict and violence.
