The Yobe State Government has said that Leah Sharibu is the only student from the 2018 Dapchi school abduction who remains in captivity, while all the other abducted girls have regained their freedom.
Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Mohammed Goje, disclosed this while reviewing the achievements of Governor Mai Mala Buni’s administration since it assumed office in 2019.
According to Goje, the issue of the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls no longer constitutes a major challenge for the state government because all the girls, except Sharibu, had been released before the current administration came into office.
“Apart from Leah Sharibu, whom I believe is still being held captive, every other Dapchi schoolgirl regained her freedom before this administration began in 2019. That chapter had largely been concluded before we assumed office,” Goje said.
Sharibu was among 110 students abducted from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018, during an attack by insurgents. While most of the girls were released about a month later, Sharibu was reportedly retained after refusing to renounce her Christian faith. Over the years, there have been several unverified reports about her condition, while the Federal Government has maintained that efforts to secure her release are ongoing.
Speaking on security in Yobe State, Goje said the administration had made significant progress in restoring peace across the state, noting that all 17 local government areas are now accessible.
“When we took office in 2019, many communities across the North-East were inaccessible because of insurgent attacks. Today, every local government area in Yobe can be reached, and humanitarian organisations can freely access communities that were previously cut off,” he stated.
He added that security improvements had also extended to most political wards across the state.
“With the exception of a few communities in one ward, virtually every political ward in Yobe is now accessible. This reflects the remarkable progress made in improving security,” Goje said.
The SSG further explained that the improved security situation has enabled many internally displaced persons to return to their communities, while government programmes in agriculture, healthcare, education and economic empowerment are helping residents rebuild their lives.
“Our goal has not only been to facilitate the return of displaced persons but also to ensure they can rebuild sustainable livelihoods. We have reconstructed public infrastructure, supported farmers, expanded healthcare services and introduced empowerment initiatives to help communities become self-reliant once again,” he added.
Goje also revealed that Yobe became the first state in Nigeria to domesticate the National Internally Displaced Persons Policy and develop a Durable Solutions Action Plan aimed at guiding the resettlement and integration of displaced persons.
He explained that the policy gives displaced persons the freedom to decide whether to return to their ancestral homes, remain in their current locations or relocate elsewhere, with the government committed to providing essential social services regardless of their choice.
The abduction of the Dapchi schoolgirls in 2018 drew widespread national and international condemnation and renewed concerns over attacks on schools in Nigeria’s North-East. More than eight years later, Sharibu remains the only known student yet to regain her freedom.
