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Abduction of 276 Chibok Girls Remain Indelible Scar on My Presidency — Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has admitted that the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls will forever remain a scar on his presidency.
He made the remark on Friday at the presentation of SCARS: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a memoir by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor. Commending Irabor, Jonathan described him as “a soldier who stood for truth and never played politics with security.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Jonathan said, “One of the major scars on my government is the Chibok Girls. As Bishop Kukah said, no plastic or cosmetic surgeon can remove it. It is a scar I will d+e with.”
The kidnapping of 276 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, triggered global outrage and birthed the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. Although some of the girls escaped or were freed, more than 80 remain unaccounted for. Survivors still struggle with stigma, tra¥ma, and interrupted education, with some returning home with children born in captivity.
Jonathan noted that Boko Haram’s activities, which began in 2009, worsened during his presidency. “I battled Boko Haram for five years as President. I thought Buhari would wipe them out quickly, but they remain. Sometimes they even had more munitions than our soldiers — that does not reflect the actions of hungry villagers,” he said.
While his administration was heavily criticised for its response to the tragedy, Jonathan defended his silence at the time, saying it was aimed at protecting sensitive intelligence. He insisted that the insurgency was more complex than many assumed and called for a renewed approach, stressing that the “carrot and stick” method might be necessary.
Over a decade later, successive governments have rescued or negotiated the release of about 189 girls, but dozens are still in captivity. The Federal Government maintains that freeing the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu remains a national priority.