The Murtala Muhammed Foundation, MMF has raised fresh concerns over the fate of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls, warning that the tragedy has become a symbol of neglect and declining global urgency more than a decade after the incident.
Marking 12 years since the abduction, the Foundation said 89 of the 276 girls kidnapped on April 14, 2014, in Chibok remain unaccounted for, with no confirmed recovery recorded in the past year.
In a statement, the Chief Executive Officer of MMF, Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, described the situation as a reflection of failed accountability and waning commitment.
“Chibok has become more than a place or a moment in time,” she said. “It is now a metaphor for neglect—of responsibility, of accountability, and of our collective empathy for those who continue to live with the consequences of this tragedy.”
According to the Foundation, 187 of the abducted girls have either escaped or been released over the years, while more than 40 children were born in captivity and returned with their mothers—highlighting the long-term human cost of the crisis.
The group noted that the Chibok abduction, once a focal point of global outrage and advocacy, now reflects a broader failure to sustain attention and follow through on commitments.
“What Chibok exposed was not only a security failure, but a failure of sustained attention—the inability to begin and to finish, to respond and to follow through,” the statement added.
MMF also expressed concern over continued abductions of schoolchildren across Nigeria, warning that such incidents have deepened fears among families and undermined confidence in the safety of education, particularly for girls.
The Foundation called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to locate the remaining victims and ensure greater transparency and accountability in its response.
It further urged the United Nations and the international community to renew engagement and support coordinated actions aimed at protecting children and safeguarding education in conflict-affected areas.
MMF stressed that the long-term impact of the abduction extends beyond those still missing, affecting survivors, families, and entire communities, many of whom continue to grapple with trauma, disrupted education, and uncertain futures.
“Chibok must not be remembered only as a tragedy,” Oyebode said. “It must remain a call to action. Until every missing girl is accounted for, this responsibility remains unfinished.”
The report was accompanied by a photographic exhibition drawn from Stolen Daughters of Chibok, offering a visual account of the human impact behind the numbers and renewing calls for justice and closure.
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