In a brave stand against terrorism, the Nigerian Armed Force today confirmed that they have rescued 293 girls and women from terrorist group, Boko Haram.
The mission, which took place on Tuesday afternoon in North-East Nigeria, was targeted at the Boko Haram camps and strongholds in the Sambisa Forest.
A spokesperson for the Nigerian Armed Forces revealed that they captured and destroyed three camps and bases in the forest, including the notorious Tokumbere camp, subsequently freeing 200 girls and 93 women.
However, the spokesperson also confirmed that the girls are not the same girls that were captured from the Nigerian town of Chibok last year. The 276 schoolgirls that were taken hostage from Chibok, who were aged between 16 and 18, sparked the viral campaign #BringBackOurGirls, which ultimately came to no success. At present, 219 of those girls are still unaccounted for, and have been forced into arranged marriages and sexual slavery.
The #BringBackOurGirls campaign garnered worldwide attention and drew the eyes of international political forces and celebrities, but the Nigerian government and it’s world allies, did little to recover the girls.
The campaign for the girls’ safety and return has also receded in the public eye, and the girls are still being held hostage by the terrorist group.
“As far as our girls are concerned, they have been abandoned,” Mkeki Mutah, an uncle of two of the kidnapped girls said, “There is a saying: ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ Leaders from around the world came out and said they would assist to bring the girls back, but now we hear nothing. The question I wish to raise is: Why?”
