At Least 1400 Nigerian Students Kidnapped From School Since Chibok Abduction – UN Report

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has revealed that Nigeria is responsible for grave and systematic violations of women's and girls' rights amid multiple mass abductions.

The Committee in a report released on Wednesday, said that at least 1400 students have been kidnapped from schools since the Chibok abduction in 2014.

"The abduction of the Chibok girls was not an isolated tragedy, but part of a series of mass abductions targeting schools and communities across northern Nigeria," said Nahla Haidar, Chair of the Committee.

"While such attacks had started earlier, Chibok marked the beginning of increased international attention of a decade-long pattern of mass abduction."

The Committee's inquiry report was published after a two-week confidential visit to Nigeria in December 2023. During the mission, the CEDAW delegation visited Nigeria's capital Abuja and different states, including Adamawa, Borno, Enugu, and Kaduna. According to school staff, they were the first UN delegation to have visited Chibok Government Secondary School since the mass abduction in 2014.

The delegation the report noted met with government officials, including the Director of the Women Development Department and the Director of Defence and Security, as well as representatives from the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Police Service Commission.

They also visited the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Abuja and interviewed victims of abductions by Boko Haram and women and girls victims of other abductions for ransom.

The report documented harsh conditions in Boko Haram and other armed groups' detention, where the Chibok girls were not given adequate food and beaten if they disobeyed.

Many were forced to marry fighters, convert their religion, and some gave birth in captivity. Other survivors of abductions for ransom by other armed groups faced extremely high risks of sexual violence, often suffering repeated rape and physical violence.

"The Committee considered that the State party's repeated failure to protect schoolgirls and other women and girls from abductions amounts to systematic and grave violations," Haidar said. The Committee concluded that Nigeria has failed to prevent targeted attacks on schools and communities, protect schoolgirls from abduction, and ensure their right to education.

The fate of the 91 remaining Chibok girls remains unknown, as the government was no longer pursuing negotiations with the armed fighters, the report noted. 

"The testimonies of survivors highlight not only the suffering endured during captivity, but also the profound challenges faced upon their return," Haidar said. "These girls were failed twice, first when they were abducted, and again when so many of them were left abandoned without care or support after escaping.

The report revealed that many of the girls who escaped on their own have reportedly received no rehabilitation, counseling, or schooling. "In contrast, the 103 girls freed through government negotiations received training and psychosocial care in Abuja, with many benefiting from scholarships at the American University of Nigeria and abroad."

The Committee urged the Nigerian government to proactively seek to rescue the remaining 91 Chibok girls and all other abducted girls and women held captive by Boko Haram and other armed groups. It also asked Nigeria to adequately fund and equip the Police Force to protect women and girls from mass abduction.

"The state party's failure to destigmatise survivors of abduction, especially victims of rape and their children, is a grave concern," the Committee said.

Nigeria is also held responsible for failing to criminalise abduction and marital rape across all 36 states. 

The Committee's findings highlight the need for urgent action to protect the rights of women and girls in Nigeria.  

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