More Nigerian schoolgirls abducted

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) calls on the Nigerian government to finally clarify the identity and the whereabouts of all school pupils who were abducted from their school in Dapchi (Yobe State) by Boko Haram terrorists last Monday. “It’s scandalous that the exact number of abducted pupils is still not known – five days after the kidnapping. The Nigerian authorities seem to be incompetent and disinterested in the wellbeing of the people. Their misconduct clearly shows how little Nigeria’s leadership has learned from the Chibok crisis,” criticized Ulrich Delius, the STP’s director, in Göttingen on Friday.

Earlier this week, the grammar school in Dapchi, which has 710 pupils, had been attacked by Boko Haram fighters. According to the parents, there are at least 101 students missing. However, the authorities are publishing one false report after the other. Thus, there had been several reports that the security forces had rescued all the pupils – while other reports even denied that they had been abducted.

“The behavior of the authorities and the security forces is disrespectful towards the relatives and friends of the victims – and it traumatizes the parents of the abductees. The state must provide security and protection for them, but their confidence is deeply shaken,” said Delius. On Thursday, the first public protests against the state’s failure took place in Yobe in northeastern Nigeria. Protesters attacked the car convoy of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam. In the streets of Dapchis, the protesters destroyed cars and set barricades with car tires on fire.

Almost four years ago – in April 2014 – a total number of 276 girls had been abducted from their school in Chibok. 112 of them are still missing. “It was mainly due to the catastrophic crisis management of the security forces that President Goodluck Jonathan had to step down back then. The incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, might have to do so as well if he fails to implement quick reforms and to convince the people that the authorities are doing everything possible to save the abductees,” warned Delius. Buhari is planning to be re-elected in 2019. One of his primary election promises had been to have the Chibok girls set free in a timely manner, but he didn’t manage to achieve this during the past three years.

Header Photo: Cia Pak via UN Photo