A UN inquiry accused Nigeria of failing to protect women and schoolgirls from abductions, calling it a grave and systematic rights violation.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has accused Nigeria of grave and systematic violations of women’s and girls’ rights in the wake of mass abductions across the country.
In a report released Wednesday, CEDAW said at least 1,400 students have been kidnapped from schools since the 2014 Chibok abduction. “The abduction of the Chibok girls was not an isolated tragedy, but part of a series of mass abductions targeting schools and communities across northern Nigeria,” said Committee Chair Nahla Haidar.
The inquiry followed a two-week confidential visit to Nigeria in December 2023, during which the delegation interviewed survivors, visited camps, and met government officials. The report documented forced marriages, repeated rape, and harsh captivity conditions under Boko Haram and other armed groups.
“The state party’s repeated failure to protect schoolgirls … amounts to systematic and grave violations,” Haidar added. CEDAW urged Nigeria to rescue the remaining 91 missing Chibok girls and strengthen protection against abductions.