MUST READ: Endless Suffering – How much more can Chibok Endure?

Chibok, a Local Government Area in Borno State, Nigeria, has endured some of the worst security challenges in the country’s history.

Since the infamous 2014 schoolgirl abduction, Chibok has face repeated attacks, yet little has changed.

Villages have been razed, churches destroyed, and entire communities forced to flee. Since then, the region has been subjected to repeated attacks, with insurgents storming villages, burning homes, looting property, and killing innocent people.

The scale of destruction has been so severe, that many families have been left with no choice but to abandon their ancestral lands and seek refuge in nearby towns, or even in the bush.

One of the most baffling aspects of this crisis is the attitude of the Northern Citizens.

Despite the destruction happening in their own backyard, some remain more focused on personal and political ambitions than on providing solutions.

Many politicians in the region appear detached, treating insecurity as a problem for the poor while they remain protected in Abuja or foreign capitals.

Their response is often limited to empty rhetoric or short-term interventions, with no real long-term strategy to secure the North.

Some even downplay the crisis, acting as though acknowledging the full extent of the problem would be politically inconvenient.

The citizenry must receive their accolades for silence, keeping quiet and accepting the situation as if they deserve the suffering, violence, displacement and all other horrors inflicted on the land, forced thousands to flee their homes but have also left many villages abandoned.

Perhaps, their voices are not heard, who then shall be voice of the Chibok people, if the kinsmen are accused of being behind the sufferings of its own people.

In the aftermath of the recent attacks on Bamzir, Shikarkir and Njilang, all are communities surrounding Chibok, the EYN Media on a Thursday, 30^th January 2025, went to DCC Chibok-Balgi, Chibok LGA, Borno State.

A District Church Council with 11 Local Church Councils but only three are left functional, all others displaced.

In company of the District Church Council Secretary, and 10 other pastors whom I called The Brave Pastors, we went to see the situation of these villages.

As at the time that this article was written several other communities surrounding Chibok including Takulashi, Tsalhla, Mbalabam, Nchiha,  Kwada and Bulalagyang are all displaced with most of their residence either migrated to Chibok, Mbalala, Askira or spend their nights in the bush and come home to prepare meals during the day in fear of sudden attacks at night.

EYN News spoke with some victims who shared their harrowing experiences. Despite their suffering, the residents of Bamzir, Shikarkir, and Njilang communities surrounding Chibok bravely recounted their ordeals.

All of the victims we spoke with, gave their consent for interviews, but their names have been withheld due to security concerns and the ongoing threat of attacks in Chibok.

A chieftain in Bamzir explained to EYN News how dreadful the attack was. “The burning was rampant,” he said. “The insurgents burned almost everything they had the opportunity to torch.” He explained that he had lost his shop with goods worth ₦600,000. Currently, he added “all the villagers have evacuated to the bush that is why you cannot see people in town. The few of us you see here were contacted by the pastor of  your coming to see us, that’s why we came”.

He added “we spend almost two weeks sleeping  in the bush  at night and during the day, some brave people will come back home to prepare food. Some who are still harvesting will also come back to prepare meals so that they can tend to their farms”.

He explained how a pregnant woman, who on the day of the attack fled to the bush, went into labor and gave birth in the bush with only a wrapper and a T-shirt.

Another chieftain in Shikarkir, where a church building, the pastor’s house, and many other houses belonging to residents were burned down, told EYN Media that the government has offered a flat rate of ₦200,000 to victims who might have been affected by the destruction caused by insurgents during the attack. “That amount is not enough for a start,” he said, “as many have lost millions.” However, he added that ” we are not after the interventions or palliatives the government will offer us”. “In fact, we are ready to trade all the infrastructure the government is to provide to our community if only peace would return to us and our villages are habitable.”

In Njilang, the situation was more critical, and we could not get anyone to speak to, as the town was totally deserted.

On the outskirts, we met a local hunter (vigilante) who shared a few words with the media. He pleaded that the government should give them backup to defend their villages, as they are tired of spending the night in the bush despite having their homes. “The government should encourage the vigilante like the civilian JTF in Maiduguri,” he said.

An internally displaced pregnant woman who fled from Njilang to Chibok said her family members are all living in a one-room uncompleted building because that is the only space available when they were chased out of their village. “Life is unbearable,” she said, “living with my children and husband, sleeping on the floor with scarce food materials.”

Another striking and disturbing revelation was narrated by an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) who fled Njilang for Chibok. The IDP revealed that during attacks, insurgents would often loot valuable items, including bicycles, livestock like cows and goats, and even roofing sheets. In a shocking twist, these stolen goods would then be sold to merchants at the Damboa Market. The IDP’s testimony took a darker turn, exposing the cruel fate of victims who dared to reclaim their stolen property. If an owner recognized their item in the market, they were forced to purchase it without revealing their connection to the item, lest they face violent reprisal upon returning home.

These stories highlight the devastating impact of the insurgent attacks on communities in Chibok, Borno State.  And yet, aside from a few statements of condemnation, there is little sustained effort to address these tragedies. The suffering of its people and many others in northern Nigeria continues largely unnoticed by those who should be most concerned. Now it seems like the North is unbothered by its own suffering.

This issue extends far beyond Chibok, affecting various parts of the North. In fact, while compiling this article, news broke of a devastating attack on two villages in Adamawa State. Residents reported losing all their possessions, with many narrowly escaping with their lives and only the clothes on their backs.

However, it is worthy of note that the failure to respond adequately to the suffering in Chibok and across the North is not just a moral failure it is a strategic mistake. Insecurity is spreading, affecting regions that once felt safe. What started in Borno has reached Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, and beyond. The longer the North remains silent, the worse things will get.

It is time for the North to wake up. Chibok is not just a tragedy; it is a warning. If northern leaders and citizens do not take responsibility for their own security and future, no one else will.

The suffering of Chibok and other northern communities is not just a problem for those directly affected—it is a stain on the conscience of the entire region. The question is, will the North finally rise to defend its own people, or will it continue to turn a blind eye until it is too late?

More details of the attacks that happened in Chibok this year can be found in the link below

EYN Leadership Condemns Boko Haram Attack on Bamzir Calls on Government to Defend Citizens, Unknown Gun Men invaded Njilang Community in Chibok, Boko Haram Launches Third Attack in Chibok LGA Within Two Weeks