Statement on the release of Chibok girls

Plan International welcomes the release of 82 girls abducted from their hostel at the Government Secondary School in Chibok in 2014. Out of the more than 270 girls that were abducted, 113 remain captive.

While the worst of the nightmare is now over for the families of the freed girls, it should be remembered that thousands of other girls, and boys, have disappeared across the Lake Chad region over the past seven years. Many remain captive, subject to abuse at the hands of Boko Haram including forced marriage, sexual violence and slavery.

Plan International expresses its deepest solidarity with all the children, particularly adolescent girls, targeted by Boko Haram. The organisation is calling for the immediate release of those still held captive.

Girls who return to their communities after escaping capture, often with children, face stigma and exclusion. Plan International has been working with such girls in Nigeria to provide them with psychosocial support and access to health services. We are also helping them to integrate back into their communities by providing educational opportunities and training in new livelihoods.

We commend the Nigerian government and other agencies for securing the girls’ release and we urge them to redouble their efforts to secure the release of other kidnapped children and guarantee an environment of safety, resilience and non-violence where children can enjoy their basic freedoms and human rights.