Boko Haram: Two Chibok School Girls Escape From Captivity
The escapees, identified as Hauwa Mutah and Esther Markus, were reported to have fled the Sambisa forest on Sunday, April 23, 2023, following intense military operations in the area.
The successful escape of the girls marks a glimmer of hope in the long search for the safe return of all the Chibok girls.
The number of Chibok schoolgirls still held in captivity by Boko Haram now stands at 96, after the successful escape of the two girls.
These girls were part of the 276 students abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok on April 14, 2014, a tragedy that drew international condemnation and raised questions about the safety of education in the region.
While 57 of the abducted girls were reported to have escaped soon after the kidnapping in 2014, one hundred and seven girls were eventually released in 2018, bringing the number in captivity down to 98.
The latest escape, along with the release and rescue of a few others in the past years, means that 178 girls have now regained their freedom since the infamous abduction.
Colonel Obinna Ezuipke, who heads the Intelligence Unit of the Joint Military Task Force, Operation Hadinkai, announced the updated figures of the Chibok schoolgirls still in captivity.
The latest rescue mission, he revealed, was part of the ongoing efforts to liberate the girls and other captives from the grip of Boko Haram.
The successful escape of the two girls, who have been missing for almost a decade, marks a significant breakthrough in the ongoing fight against terrorism in Nigeria.
It also underscores the need for sustained efforts towards providing security in the region, in order to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
The search for the remaining Chibok schoolgirls continues, as the Nigerian authorities and its partners make all necessary efforts to ensure the safe return of all the girls and other victims of terrorism in the country.
The escape of Hauwa Mutah and Esther Markus gives renewed hope that the remaining captives will soon be reunited with their loved ones, after years of pain and uncertainty.
