This attack negates the assertion of Nigerian government that the group has been totally defeated by the military.
The Boko Haram insurgent has once again kidnapped another 110 girls from a school in Dapchi, Yobe state on February 19, 2018. With this, the insurgent group just confirmed it is still a nightmare to the Nigerian government.
According to Nigeria’s information ministry, the insurgent's group came into the town in military camouflage and attacked the Government Science and Technical College, Dapchi. After the attack, 110 students were declared missing by the school authority.
“The federal government has confirmed that 110 students of the Government Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, are so far unaccounted for after insurgents believed to be from a faction of Boko Haram invaded their school on Monday,” the information ministry said in a statement.
This incident is very instructive as the government had earlier declared a partial victory against the group. The factional leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, was also said to be on the run and a bounty of $9800 placed on him.
The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Rogers Nicholas, made this known on Saturday, February 3, 2018, in Maiduguri, Borno State.
“We have broken the heart and soul of Shekau’s group, taking over the camp and its environs," Nicholas boasted while inaugurating the Nigeria-Cameroun Military joint mission.
“My soldiers are in the heart of Boko Haram enclave that is Camp Zairo. The gallant troops have taken total control of Sambisa forest.
“They are on the run and we are pursuing them to wherever they go. This time around there is no place for escape anywhere.
“We had earlier asked those of them that want to surrender to do so and we are still asking them to come out and surrender otherwise they are going to meet it the hard way,” he said.
This attack brings back the memory of the Chibok incident in 2014 where the group abducted 276 female students from a local school in the town.
The #BringBackOurGirls campaign which was formed to ensure the girls are found received international support for their activities. This pressured the Nigerian government to take action after the initial denial of occurrence of such event. At the moment, more than 100 of the girls are still missing or being held by the insurgent group.
President Muhammadu Buhari has issued an order for deployment of extra troops and planes to search for the missing girls. The President called this incident a “national disaster.”