Missing Chibok Schoolgirl Kidnapped By Boko Haram Found With Baby In Nigeria

Another of the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militant group Boko Haram from their school in Nigeria's Chibok in 2014 has been found, according to the Nigerian army.

The girl, identified as Rakiya Abubkar Gali, had a six-month-old baby with her, a spokesperson said, and was discovered while soldiers were investigating suspected members of Boko Haram.

According to World Watch Monitor, Gali is the daughter of Abubakar Gali Mulima and Habiba Abubakar, and is the 24th Chibok victim to be released.

In total, 276 girls, most of them Christians, were taken from their school on April 14, 2014. Dozens have managed to escape, but more than 200 are still missing.

Their capture was part of Boko Haram's seven-year-old insurgency to set up an Islamic state in the north of Nigeria that has killed some 15,000 people.

In October, 21 of the abducted girls were released by militants following talks with the government brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government.

More than 910 schools have been targeted by Boko Haram, whose name means "Western [or non-Islamic] education is a sin". At least 611 teachers have been deliberately killed and another 19,000 forced to flee. At least 1,500 schools have closed.

In a video released in May 2014, then-Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, said women and girls would continue to be abducted to "turn them to the path of true Islam" and ensure they did not attend school.

The group controlled an area about the size of Belgium in early 2015 but has been pushed out of most of that territory over the last year by Nigeria's army and troops from neighbouring countries.

Last month, the army said it had seized a key Boko Haram camp in its last enclave in Nigeria in the vast Sambisa forest. The jihadists still stage suicide bombings in northeastern areas and in neighbouring Niger and Cameroon.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Newsletter Stay up to date with Christian Today
News
What should Christians make of Tommy Robinson?
What should Christians make of Tommy Robinson?

In demanding that the likes of Robinson be banned from the Oxford Union, the clergy are in effect setting their own limit on freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Christian woman persecuted by Iranian regime sentenced to 9 years in prison
Christian woman persecuted by Iranian regime sentenced to 9 years in prison

A Christian convert in Iran has been sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison on trumped-up charges linked to state security and anti-government activity.

John Lennox fears AI is making us lazy
John Lennox fears AI is making us lazy

Christian media leaders heard calls for courage, authenticity and discernment at the recent Revive 2026 conference.

Does the Church of England need to re-think its messaging?
Does the Church of England need to re-think its messaging?

If you look at the Church of England’s communications all that it ever seems to highlight is the good works that Christians do to improve the temporal well-being of their neighbours. It is right to highlight these things, but they are not the primary reason for the Church’s existence.