Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan stated on Friday that the 2014 abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, remains an indelible scar on his presidential tenure.
Jonathan made the emotional admission during the public presentation of ‘SCARS: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum,’ a memoir authored by former Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor.
Reflecting on the title of the book, Jonathan described the Chibok tragedy as one of the defining marks of his administration.
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“As Bishop Kukah said, no plastic or cosmetic surgeon can remove it. It is a scar I will die with,” he said.
The abduction of 276 schoolgirls by Boko Haram triggered the global #BringBackOurGirls movement and widespread international condemnation.
While some girls managed to escape or were later released, over 80 are still unaccounted for more than a decade later.
Survivors face lasting issues, including stigma, trauma, and the challenge of raising children born while in captivity.
Jonathan recalled that the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009 during his time as Vice President and intensified while he was Head of State.
“I battled Boko Haram for five years as President,” he stated, expressing surprise that the group has persisted: “I thought [President] Buhari would wipe them out quickly, but they remain.”
He emphasised that the insurgency is “far more complex than many assume” and called for a strategic reassessment, suggesting that a “carrot and stick method” may be necessary to resolve the crisis.
Jonathan noted that the group’s advanced weaponry, sometimes surpassing that of Nigerian soldiers, points to “external hands clearly involved in sustaining them.”
During his speech, Jonathan also defended his government’s initial public silence on the abduction, explaining that the delay was intended to protect sensitive intelligence operations and ongoing investigations.
His administration had faced harsh criticism from civil society groups regarding its handling of the crisis, which was often accused of weak coordination and politicisation.
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Despite the release of 189 girls through rescue or negotiation by successive governments, the Federal Government (FG) maintains that securing the release of the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu remains a national priority.
Jonathan used the occasion to commend General Irabor, praising him as a soldier who “stood for truth and never played politics with security.”
