The Federal Government and security forces have reiterated their unwavering commitment to securing the release of the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu, who are still in captivity years after their abductions.
Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja. The briefing focused on the activities of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell, implemented in partnership with the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency.
Recalls that 276 schoolgirls were abducted in April 2014 from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. Eleven years on, 87 of the girls remain in captivity. About 189 others have either escaped or were rescued by security forces over the years.
Similarly, Leah Sharibu was among 110 schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018. While most of the girls were later released, Sharibu remains in captivity, reportedly due to her refusal to renounce her Christian faith.
Maj.-Gen. Laka stated that the government continues to carry out both military operations and negotiations to secure the girls’ freedom.
“The rescued girls were not recovered at once; it was a gradual process involving sustained efforts. I was in the theatre during the initial operations, and I can attest to the sacrifices made by our military and intelligence agencies,” he said.
He also highlighted that some of the abducted girls were forced into marriages with insurgents, complicating rescue efforts. Laka appealed for public understanding, noting that the focus should not be solely on the Chibok girls, as many other individuals, including aid workers with UNICEF, UNHCR, and IOM, have also been victims of abduction.
“We have not relented in our efforts. Just because we do not always speak publicly about these operations does not mean they are not ongoing,” he added.
In her remarks, the UK Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever, condemned the recent killing of 33 kidnap victims by bandits in Banga town, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
“Kidnapping is an unspeakable crime. It not only devastates individuals and families but also damages mental health, community cohesion, and national development,” she said.
Lever reaffirmed the UK’s support for Nigeria’s anti-kidnapping efforts through the Multi-Agency Fusion Cell, a three-year initiative aimed at enhancing collaboration between Nigerian security agencies. The Cell supports the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) by gathering and analyzing kidnap-related data and providing trend-based intelligence to the Office of the National Security Adviser.
She described the programme as part of a broader UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, based on mutual trust and cooperation.
“Rolling out the Fusion Cell’s capability to more states is a critical step we agreed on during our recent Security and Defence Partnership meetings in London,” Lever noted.
