Amnesty Int’l moans, lack of accountability caused by Abuja’s inaction
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Amnesty International has lamented nine years after Boko Haram abducted 276 students from Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, 98 are still being held by the jihadists, and other abductions have since taken place, exposing the incompetence of security agencies.
The authorities have failed to learn from the heartbreak of Chibok and to protect children, acting Director of Amnesty International Nigeria Isa Sanusi said in a statement drawing global attention to the incarceration of the innocent Chibok children in forests for nearly a decade.
“Since the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram, a plethora of schools have been targeted, with girls being abducted, raped, killed or forced into marriages.
“The Nigerian authorities, however, have not carried out a single credible investigation into the security failures that left children vulnerable to the atrocities committed by Boko Haram and gunmen,” Sanusi stressed.
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“Parents of the 98 Chibok schoolgirls, who are still being held by Boko Haram, as well as other children abducted by gunmen, are living in anguish, knowing that their children are in the hands of ruthless individuals who subject their loved ones to chilling brutalities,” Amnesty said, via reporting by Vanguard.
“It is beyond time that the Nigerian authorities took meaningful action to counter armed groups like Boko Haram and gunmen. Nigeria has an obligation to implement safeguards to protect all children, and the lack of accountability for these callous crimes is fueling impunity.
“The missing Chibok schoolgirls should be returned home to their families, and all those responsible for committing grave violations must face justice.”
Amnesty said between December 2020 and March 2021, there were at least five reported abductions in the North, including from schools in Kankara, Kagara, Jangebe, Damishi Kaduna, Tegina, and Yawuri, while the threat of further attacks has led to the closure of more than 600 schools in the region.
