Nigerian soldiers have successfully rescued a woman who was abducted by extremists a decade ago in the village of Chibok. The army announced on Thursday that Lydia Simon, who was kidnapped as a schoolgirl, was found in the Gwoza council area of Borno state. She was rescued along with her three children, who are estimated to be between the ages of 2 and 4. Simon, who is currently five months pregnant, has not yet been reunited with her family.
Simon was one of the 276 girls taken from their school in Chibok in April 2014 during the peak of extremist violence in the region. Despite this recent rescue, approximately 82 of the abducted girls remain in captivity. The Chibok kidnapping was the first in a series of mass school abductions in Nigeria, sparking the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
The Nigerian army did not provide specific details on how Simon was freed, only mentioning that she was rescued in Ngoshe, a volatile area located 130 kilometers north of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. Concerns have been raised by some Chibok parents and security analysts regarding the lack of evidence of a dedicated military operation to free the abducted women, with many being discovered abandoned in forests in recent years.
Activist Chioma Agwuegbo, who was involved in the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, highlighted the severe trauma and violence experienced by the rescued women, including instances of rape and forced marriages. Villagers in Chibok eagerly await the opportunity to reunite with Simon, with the chairman of the Chibok girls’ parents’ association expressing uncertainty as they await official communication from the government.
