Two years after Chibok abduction: US supports safe return of those kidnapped, abused          

Exactly two years after the abduction of female students from their secondary school in Chibok, Bornu State, the United States says it will continue to assist the Nigerian government in its efforts to locate and bring home all those who have been kidnapped by Boko Haram through intelligence and advisory support.

According to a statement released Wednesday by the US Embassy in Abuja, “the United States is also delivering over $240 million in development and humanitarian assistance across the Lake Chad Basin region to provide conflict-affected populations and refugees with transitional assistance, psycho-social services, health programmes, and emergency education for children displaced by violence.

“As we approach the second anniversary of the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school in Chibok, the US again calls for the immediate release, without preconditions, of all hostages held by Boko Haram.”

On the night of April 14 to 15, 2014, some 276 female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.

Boko Haram, an extremist and terrorist organisation based in northeastern Nigeria, claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.

The US said the kidnapping of these young women, along with the kidnappings of countless others by Boko Haram, epitomises this terrorist group’s depravity.

A few of the schoolgirls managed to escape and some have described their capture in appearances at international human rights conferences.

On October 17, 2014, hopes were raised that the 219 remaining girls might be released after the Nigerian Army announced a truce between Boko Haram and government forces.

The announcement coincided with the six-month anniversary of the girls’ capture and followed a month of negotiations that were mediated in Saudi Arabia by Idriss Déby, the Chadian president.