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On Monday, 19 February 2018, Nigerian terrorist organization, Boko Haram, attacked the Girls Science and Technical School in the northeastern village of Dapchi – an incident that mirrored the 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok. Teachers and students attempted to flee the school campus as insurgents arrived in trucks with mounted machine guns late in the evening. Pursued by soldiers, the insurgents eventually left, yet a 110 girls still remain missing. An inability to find the girls days after the incident indicates that they too have become victims of a Boko Haram kidnapping.
The Chibok kidnappings of 2014 sparked a wave of outrage and grief among parents and activists, giving birth to the hashtag BringBackOurGirls and an organization of the same name. While the release of a 106 girls was secured, 113 remain missing till this day, atrophying in the brutal captivity of a terrorist group that frequently uses kidnapped girls as suicide bombers. Describing the anguish of the 2014 kidnappings, Nigerian poet, Helon Habila, paints pictures of lost, grieving parents in his book “The Chibok Girls.” If effective action is not immediately taken, the Dapchi girls will be condemned to a similar fate.
The Nigerian state’s response to the attacks this time was definitely improved when compared to its faltering actions in 2014. The military was immediately deployed this time and the government was quick to release its official statements, yet a degree of confusion still persists. On Wednesday, 21 February 2018, the government released and then retracted a statement regarding the rescue of the missing girls. Parents have also been instructed to keep quiet regarding the matter by the security forces. This is in conjunction with a continual attempt by the state to downplay the incident with Information Minister, Lai Mohammad, stating that “there are few students who are yet accounted for, but we don’t want to manufacture stories on this issue.” Overall, a greater degree of transparency is required on part of the state.
The Nigerian government declared victory over Boko Haram in 2015, yet this latest specter of violence indicates that the organization is far from dead. While Boko Haram may no longer exist as a territorially grounded fighting force, members of the organization are still committing deadly terrorist attacks all over Nigeria. In the midst of this violence, 2 million people remain displaced in northeastern Nigeria. These internally displaced people (IDPs) are victims of suicide bombings by Boko Haram and exploitation by the nation’s own security forces. They continue to live in an extremely precarious environment, lacking basic necessities like food, water, shelter and healthcare. If effective action is not immediately taken, the plight of these IDPs risks becoming permanent.
Raafia is a third year student at the University of Toronto studying International Relations and Peace, Conflict and Justice studies.
Sources
Amanda Erickson, “Nigerians are demanding answers after another Boko Haram Kidnapping,” The Washington Post, 25 February, 2018 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/02/23/nigerians-are-demanding-answers-after-another-potential-boko-haram-kidnapping/?utm_term=.871831a5fd0d.
Ola Lanre, “Anger in Nigerian Village as Girls still missing after Boko Haram attack,” Reuters, 22 February 2018 at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-security/anger-in-nigerian-village-as-girls-still-missing-after-boko-haram-attack-idUSKCN1G62D5
John Campbell, “Latest Boko Haram Kidnapping recalls Chibok in 2014," Council on Foreign Relations, 22 February, 2018 at https://www.cfr.org/blog/latest-boko-haram-kidnapping-recalls-chibok-2014
“Boko Haram on Mission to embarrass Buhari’s govt-Lai Mohammad,” Vanguard, 23 February, 2018 at https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/dapchi-schoolgirls-boko-haram-mission-embarrass-buharis-govt-lai-mohammed.