60 Nigerian girls and women escape from Boko Haram kidnappers

There is a tiny ray of hope at the end of 10 weeks in which more than 200 Nigerian girls have been abducted and held captive.

At the weekend, 60 women and girls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants in a separate incident last month appear to have escaped their captors.

The 60 were snatched from a town close to where the girls of Chibok were last seen on April 14. Army operations had led to clashes after an attack by the insurgents in the town of Damboa.

More than 50 Boko Haram insurgents were killed and it was during that raid on Damboa that the 60 appear to have found a means to escape. It proves that Boko Haram are vulnerable and there is still hope that progress can be made in freeing the 200 girls.

The Lost Girls of Chibok have touched millions across the world. A global campaign to #Bringbackourgirls was launched and, because few girls in the Borno region of Nigeria are now going to classes, our Safe Schools Initiative is even more urgent.

We must make Nigeria's schools more secure so that girls can attend without fear of being abducted.


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