Nigerian military reveals that 98 of the 276 Chibok girls are still being held by Boko Haram

NIGERIAN security forces are still yet to ascertain the whereabouts of 98 of the 276 Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok pupils abducted by terrorist sect Boko Haram on April 14 2014.

In the first such abduction of its kind, Boko Haram kidnapped the pupils from their boarding school in Borno State. Leading to an international outcry, the kidnapping led to negotiations between the terrorists and the Nigerian government and the majority of the girls have been released.

However, according to Col Obinna Ezuipke of the intelligence unit of the Joint Military Taskforce in the North East, known as Operation Hadinkai, 98 of the girls remain in captivity. He explained that out of the 276 abducted Chibok girls, 57 girls escaped in 2014 while 107 girls were released in 2018m three girls were rescued in 2019, two in 2021 and nine in 2022, making a total of 178 girls.

Giving statistics on the activities of Operation Hadinkai in August 2022, Col Ezuipke said: “A total of 43 terrorists were neutralised, while 24 others were arrested by the troops in August alone. This is apart from the over 100 killed in September 2022, as well as recovery of various weapons, including 129 AK47 rifles, 1,515 rounds of ammunitions, 16 FN rifles, three machine guns and 17 grenades, among others, during the operations.”

He explained that the military carried out a total of 2,726 patrols and 982 ambushes against the terrorists, revealing that the military recorded 26 attacks from the terrorists, adding that in the process, two soldiers were killed and nine others sustained various degrees of injury. Col Ezuipke revealed that from June 2022 to date, a total of 113 people who are suppliers of food, fertiliser and other logistics to the terrorists, have been arrested.

Furthermore, Col Ezuipke said the troops also rescued many women and children, as well as destroyed properties and hideouts belonging to the terrorists in the period under review. Over recent weeks, the Nigerian military has expressed optimism that the tide appears to be turning in its favour.