Some of the girls abducted by Boko Haram in a school in Dapchi three months ago have returned to school despite warning by the terrorists never to return to western education.
When the terrorists raided Government Girls Science and Technical College on February 19, 111 students, alongside two other non-students, were abducted. A month later, 105 of them, alongside the two others, were released by their captors, while five were reported dead and one, Leah Sharibu, is still in captivity. One of the girls, Maryam, told Voice of America, VOA, that the terrorists photographed their faces and warned them against returning to school, but that she is dismissing their threats because she wants to learn. Despite some of the girls’ return, the school is still witnessing low turnout as only 220 students have resumed at press time. According to the school’s principal, Adama Abdulkarim, the low turnout could be a manifestation of the fears of the students or the parents of the lingering threats from Boko Haram. Last week, she urged parents to send their children to school without fear of past events. She said: “The government has already tried; the school has opened. I am calling on the parents not to be discouraged by anything that has happened. Let them bring their children; this education is very important to the children. They are the leaders of tomorrow and we cannot have leaders that are not educated.” VOA reported that parents in Dapchi have been meeting to discuss security in the town and resolved to send their daughters to school in defiance of Boko Haram’s threats
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