The Yobe State Government has disclosed that all the schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, in 2018 have regained their freedom except Leah Sharibu, who remains in captivity more than eight years after the abduction. The disclosure was made by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mohammed Goje.
The Yobe State Government has reiterated that Leah Sharibu remains the only Dapchi schoolgirl yet to regain her freedom following the 2018 Boko Haram abduction that shocked Nigeria and attracted international attention.
Secretary to the State Government, Mohammed Goje, made the disclosure while reviewing the achievements of Governor Mai Mala Buni’s administration since assuming office in 2019.
According to Goje, every other abducted Dapchi schoolgirl had already been released before the current administration came into office.
He stated that:
“Except for Leah Sharibu, who, I believe, is still in captivity, the Dapchi girls have all been rescued even before 2019.”
Leah Sharibu was among the 110 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, on February 19, 2018. While most of the girls were released about a month later, Sharibu was not freed after reportedly refusing to renounce her Christian faith.
Goje said the state government now considers the Dapchi abduction largely a historical issue from the perspective of state administration because the releases occurred before Governor Buni assumed office.
He also highlighted improvements in security across Yobe State, stating that all 17 local government areas are now accessible, unlike the situation in 2019 when insurgency restricted movement across several communities.
According to him, the improved security environment has enabled displaced residents to return home while allowing humanitarian organisations to resume operations in previously inaccessible areas.
The Yobe SSG said the state government remains focused on rebuilding communities affected by insurgency through investments in agriculture, healthcare, education and livelihood support.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has repeatedly maintained over the years that efforts to secure Leah Sharibu’s release remain ongoing, although no official breakthrough has been announced.
More than eight years after the Dapchi school abduction, Leah Sharibu remains the only known student still in captivity. Her continued detention remains one of Nigeria’s most enduring humanitarian concerns, with renewed calls from citizens and advocacy groups for intensified efforts to secure her freedom.