2014 Chibok kidnapping

2014 Chibok kidnapping

Location     Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria
Outcome     More than 200 female students abducted by Islamist militants
Missing     223
Suspect(s)     Boko Haram

Islamist insurgency
in Nigeria
Background

    1953 Kano riot
    1980-1985 riots
    2000 Kaduna riots
    2000 Abuja riots
    2001 Jos riots
    Miss World riots

Insurgency

    Yelwa massacre
    2008 Jos riots
    July 2009 clashes
    2010 Jos riots
    Bauchi prison break
    December 2010 Abuja bombing
    May 2011 bombings
    Abuja Police HQ bombing
    Abuja UN bombing
    November 2011 Damaturu attacks
    December 2011 Damaturu clashes
    Christmas Day bombings
    January 2012 attacks
    Easter Day bombings
    June 2012 church bombings
    Deeper Life Church shooting
    December 2012 church shootings
    July 2013 school shooting
    Gujba College massacre
    FG College attack
    March 2014 Borno State attacks
    April 2014 Abuja bombing
    2014 Chibok kidnapping

On 15 April 2014, more than 200 female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria. The attack was claimed by Boko Haram, an Islamic Jihadist and Takfiri terrorist organisation based in northeast Nigeria.

Contents

    1 Background
    2 Kidnapping
    3 Aftermath
    4 Reaction
    5 References
    6 External links

Background
Main article: Nigerian Sharia conflict

The insurgent group Boko Haram is opposed to what they perceive as the "Westernisation" of Nigeria, which they maintain is the root cause of criminal behaviour in the country.[1] Thousands of people have been killed in attacks perpetrated by the group, and the Nigerian federal government declared a state of emergency in May 2013 in Borno State in its fight against the insurgency.[2] The resulting crackdown has led to the capture or killing of hundreds of Boko Haram members, with the remainder retreating to mountainous areas from which they have increasingly targeted civilians.[3] However, the campaign has failed to stabilise the country. A French military operation in Mali also pushed Boko Haram and al-Qaeda terrorists into Nigeria.[4]

Since 2010, Boko Haram has targeted schools, killing hundreds of students. A spokesperson for the group said such attacks would continue as long as the Nigerian government continued to interfere with traditional Islamic education. 10,000 children have been unable to attend school as a result of the activities by Boko Haram.[1] Boko Haram has also been known to kidnap girls, who it believes should not be educated, and use them as cooks or sex slaves.[4]

Boko Haram's attacks have intensified in 2014. In February, the group hacked to death more than 100 Christian men in the villages of Doron Baga and Izghe.[4] Also in February, 59 students were killed in the Federal Government College attack in northeastern Nigeria.[5] In March, the group attacked the Giwa military barracks, freeing captured militants.[4] The abduction occurred on the same day as a bombing attack in Abuja in which at least 88 people died.[6] Boko Haram has been blamed for nearly 4,000 deaths in 2014.[4]
Kidnapping
Damage to the school

On 15 April 2014, a group of militants attacked the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Nigeria. They broke into the school, shooting the guards.[7] A large number of students were taken away in trucks, possibly into the Sambisa Forest. Houses in Chibok were also burnt down in the incident.[6] The school had been closed for four weeks prior to the attack due to the deteriorating security situation, but students from multiple schools had been called in to take final exams in physics.[6][8][9]

There were 530 students from multiple villages registered for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, although it was unclear how many were in attendance at the time of the attack.[10] Initial reports said 85 students were kidnapped in the attack. Over the 19–20 April weekend, the military released a statement that said more than 100 of 129 kidnapped girls had been freed. However, the statement was retracted, and on 21 April, parents said 234 girls were missing.[4] A number of the students escaped the kidnappers in two groups.[11] According to the police approximately 276 children were taken in the attack of which 53 had escaped as of 2 May.[10] Additional reports of missing girls were still coming in at that time.[9]
Aftermath

The students were subsequently forced into marriage with members of Boko Haram, with a reputed "bride price" of ₦2,000 each ($12.50/£7.50).[12][13] Many of the students were taken to the neighbouring countries of Chad and Cameroon, with sightings reported of the students crossing borders with the militants, and sightings of the students by villagers living in the Sambisa Forest.[14][13] The forest is considered a refuge for Boko Haram.[13] Local residents have been able to track the movements of the students with the help of contacts across north eastern Nigeria.[13]

Parents and others took to social media to complain about the government's perceived slow and inadequate response. On 30 April and 1 May, protests demanding more government action were held in several Nigerian cities.[9]

On 2 May, the police said it was still unclear the exact number of students who were kidnapped. They asked parents to provide documents so an official count could be made since school records were damaged in the attack.[10]

On 5 May, Abubakar Shekau, the Boko Haram leader, admitted "I abducted your girls".[15]