Table of Contents
Why does Boko Haram kidnap schoolgirls?
Boko Haram and its affiliates now see the act of kidnapping schoolchildren as an effective way to raise money for their broad operations across northern Nigeria, due to gains in widespread media coverage and the way it puts federal and state governments under pressure to secure the release of the victims at any cost.
How many girls were saved from Boko Haram?
Around 503 girls were at the school the night of the Boko Haram abduction in April 2014. Out of 276 taken, more than 100 were freed through negotiations, while others managed to escape. This week, to mark seven years of abduction, parents of the remaining girls gathered at the school to pray for their safe return.
What happened to kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls?
In response, the United States and several European governments mobilized resources to assist in the search. But it would be more than three years before many of the schoolgirls — now young women — were freed from captivity in a negotiated settlement with paid ransom. Seven years later, 112 others remain missing.
What did Boko Haram do with the Chibok girls?
In April 2014, members of the jihadist group Boko Haram ambushed an all-girls boarding school in Chibok in the middle of the night and kidnapped 276 students before vanishing into the forest. Some of the girls managed to escape on their own, while others were later rescued or freed following negotiations.
What happened to the missing Nigerian schoolgirls?
How many Chibok girls were killed?
While some of the girls managed to escape and others were released following campaigning effort and government negotiations, 109 of the girls remain in captivity, and at least 16 have been killed or died due to other causes.
What did Boko Haram do?
Since 2011, Boko Haram—one of the largest Islamist militant groups in Africa—has conducted terrorist attacks on religious and political groups, local police, and the military, as well as indiscriminately attacking civilians in busy markets and villages.