The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has revealed that 91 Chibok schoolgirls remain missing or in captivity, a decade after their abduction by Boko Haram.
The findings, published after a confidential two-week mission to Nigeria in December 2023, described “grave and systematic violations” of women’s and girls’ rights, holding Nigeria responsible for failing to protect them.
CEDAW noted that survivors continue to endure trauma, stigma, and inadequate support services. Many of the freed girls face rejection in their communities, with some unable to return home or access proper rehabilitation.
The 2014 mass abduction saw 276 girls taken from Chibok Secondary School in Borno State. While 82 escaped and 103 were released through negotiations, at least 91 remain unaccounted for.
The report also highlighted a broader pattern of school abductions across northern Nigeria. Since Chibok, at least 1,400 students have been kidnapped—many for ransom, forced marriage, or trafficking. Survivors described harsh conditions in captivity, including forced conversions, childbearing under duress, and repeated sexual violence.
CEDAW criticised the government for failing to prevent such attacks, criminalise abduction and marital rape nationwide, or provide adequate rehabilitation. It urged Nigeria to resume efforts to rescue the remaining Chibok girls, support survivors, and strengthen security to protect women and girls from future mass abductions.
The full report, including recommendations, is now available online.
