After 806 days since the deadly Boko Haram sect abducted over 200 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School, in Chibok Community, Borno state, students of public schools in the area have finally returned to their classrooms.

As a result of the abduction, government schools in Chibok community were closed for the fear of more attacks. Children were forced to stay at home while some parents who could afford it, sent their children to schools outside Borno state.

The great news coming from Chibok is that public primary schools and the Junior Day Secondary School are now opened years after academic activities have been shut down due to Boko Haram insurgency.

Many thanks to the Nigerian Army Command who have continually assured maximum protection and security of the children.

Sadly, however, after a series of interactions with the children, I noticed how academically poor they had become.

“Some of them cannot even write their names correctly again,” one of the teachers told me. “They’ve been out of school for years, and most of them have been on the farm with their parents,” Awolabi added. 

The students whose schools have been opened couldn’t hide their excitement and  told me they’ve always looked forward to returning to school.

The Government Secondary School, Chibok, where the 219 girls were abducted by the Boko Haram sect, is still closed as the structures have not been rebuilt after the attack. Allen, who was speaking during the sit-out of the #BringBackOurGirls(BBOG) group, clarified that the one opened was the Junior Day Secondary for junior secondary students.“I just wanted to clarify that the one that has been opened is the Junior Day Secondary . The school also host the primary school students . The primary school students attend school in the morning while the junior secondary students attend in the afternoon. This is how it has been operating even before the attack,” he said. While expressing happiness that the children of the area will now be able to go to school, Allen lamented that the secondary school at the area was still in ruins years after the attack of the Boko Haram sect. He, therefore, urged the government to fulfill the promise it had make to the community by reconstructing the school.

With this development, permit me to a big congratulations to Chibok community and to also  say that Nigerians are winning the war against the terrorists and peace is returning to Borno state.

It will be recalled that it was on the night of April 14, 2014, that about 276 female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School, Chibok. Although 57 of them managed to escape, the rest of the girls are still held by the terrorists, with some believed to be dead and others taken as wives by the insurgents.

Though it was a mixed reaction as some parents’ daughters were among the missing Chibok secondary school girls, they said they always feel sad when they see other children going to school.