The Yobe State Government has confirmed that Leah Sharibu is the only schoolgirl from the 2018 Dapchi abduction who remains in captivity, nearly eight years after she was kidnapped by insurgents alongside more than 100 other students.
The Secretary to the Yobe State Government (SSG), Mohammed Goje, disclosed this in an interview while reflecting on the security situation in the state under the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni. He said all the other abducted Dapchi schoolgirls had regained their freedom before the current administration assumed office in 2019.
“For the Dapchi girls, except for Leah Sharibu, who, I believe, is still in captivity, the Dapchi girls have all been rescued even before 2019,” Goje said. He added that the issue no longer constituted an active case for the state government because the remaining girls had already been reunited with their families before the present administration took office.
Leah Sharibu was among 110 students abducted by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018. Most of the girls were released about a month later, but Sharibu was reportedly held after refusing to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam.
Over the years, there have been various unverified reports regarding Sharibu’s condition and whereabouts. However, the Federal Government has consistently maintained that efforts to secure her release are ongoing, although no official update on her status has been provided.
Goje also highlighted what he described as improvements in security across Yobe State since 2019, saying all 17 local government areas are now accessible despite the insurgency that previously rendered many communities unreachable.
According to the SSG, enhanced security has enabled displaced residents to return to their communities, while humanitarian organisations have resumed operations in areas that were once inaccessible due to attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups.
Leah Sharibu’s continued captivity has remained a source of concern for her family, religious leaders, human rights advocates and civil society organisations, who have repeatedly called on the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to secure her freedom. Earlier this year, her parents renewed their appeal for her release, describing her case as a matter of national urgency.
