Memories of the 2014 Chibok kidnapping flooded the minds of Nigerians as they heard the news of the most recent attack on a girls' school in Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19th. When the Boko Haram militants left the scene, 110 schoolgirls -- between the ages of 11 and 19 -- disappeared with them.
Authorities initially tried to deny that it was a kidnapping, suggesting the girls may have simply fled. However, it soon became clear that they had been taken by the attackers to an unknown location. Nigerian authorities are actively searching for the girls.
A mediator between the Boko Haram terrorist group and the Nigerian government claims that she has been contacted by those who allege responsibility. They have assured her that the girls are safe and in good condition, and that they will be released unharmed. Despite those assurances, nothing further is known of their whereabouts.
Of the 276 girls kidnapped from Chibok in 2014, more than 100 are still missing. A number of those who have been found were raped and forced into marriage to their captors. There are fears that a similar fate may face the schoolgirls from Dapchi. For a video report from CBN on the missing Chibok girls, click here.
While coming before the Lord in prayer, please bring all the missing schoolgirls from Dapchi and Chibok to His throne of grace. Pray for their protection in captivity and soon release. Also remember the girls from Chibok who have been safely released, as they struggle to reintegrate into society and resume the normalcy of life with their loved ones.