The Bring Back Our Girls Global (BBOG), a coalition of advocates from across the world, has written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to take immediate action to end the 11-year nightmare of school abductions in Nigeria.
The letter, dated November 24, 2025, follows the abduction of 303 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, Agwarra LGA, Niger State, on November 21, 2025, and the abduction of 25 schoolgirls and one watchman from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, Danko/Wasagu LGA, Kebbi State, on November 17, 2025.
The group attributed this to a systemic failure spanning over 11 years, with at least 1,800 students kidnapped in a relentless cycle of terror since the Chibok abduction of 276 girls in April 2014.
“These atrocities are not isolated tragedies—they are part of a systemic failure spanning over 11 years. Since the Chibok abduction of 276 girls in April 2014, Nigeria has witnessed at least 1,800 students kidnapped in a relentless cycle of terror,” the group said.
“The pattern is clear: 1. Chibok (2014): 276 abducted, 90 still held.
“These numbers signify the horror these young girls have endured while the government carries on as if nothing has happened. These numbers are not statistics – they represent children robbed of their futures, families shattered, and communities living in perpetual fear.
“Many Chibok girls remain in captivity, forced into marriages with their abductors, subjected to sexual violence, and denied basic human dignity. Survivors who returned face stigma and trauma without adequate rehabilitation. Chibok and other targeted communities remain scarred and vulnerable. There have been over one hundred attacks on Chibok since 2014, and many of these targeted communities remain under constant and ongoing attacks. This is unacceptable,” it added.
The letter emphasised the horrific conditions faced by the abducted girls, including forced marriages, sexual violence, and denial of basic human dignity, and demanded that the government take decisive action to secure schools, dismantle criminal networks, and restore faith in the government’s ability to protect its citizens.
The group demanded immediate rescue of the abducted students and teachers and all others still in captivity. It also called for an end to negotiations with terrorists.
The letter also demanded full implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration, prosecution of those responsible for past failures, and provision of sustained psychosocial support and reintegration programs for survivors and affected communities.
The signatories include Opeyemi Adamolekun, EiE Nigeria, Lagos; Tehilah Eisenstadt, BBOG NY; Habiba Balogun, BBOG Lagos; and other prominent advocates from across the world.
The group noted that the world is watching and that history will judge the choices made today.
“President Tinubu, schools must never be battlegrounds. Education is a right, not a death sentence. Yet, despite billions allocated and initiatives launched – Safe Schools Initiative (2014), Safe Schools Declaration (2015) – implementation has failed. Today, 80% of schools remain unsafe, and only 37% have early warning systems. Negotiating with criminals only emboldens them, and our children continue to pay the price.
“We demand urgent, decisive action—not just reactive measures, but a comprehensive strategy to secure our schools, dismantle these criminal networks, and restore faith in the government’s ability to protect its citizens. Every day of delay deepens the wound and erodes the trust of Nigerians in their leadership,” the group demanded.
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