Analysts say psychological trauma in captivity cannot be mistaken for consent
By Mary Kiara
(Abuja, Nigeria) – Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu is facing scrutiny after suggesting some of the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in 2014 refused rescue because they had developed emotional ties to their captors.
Speaking during a recent visit to the United States, Tinubu said authorities initially pursued the release of the remaining girls but later discovered some were unwilling to return.
“Even those girls kidnapped during Chibok, they are still trying to rescue them, until they learned recently that most of them fell in love with their abductors,” Tinubu said, according to remarks reported by The Free Press.
“You know, they refuse to come back.”
Her comments have sparked debate among rescue advocates and analysts who say the circumstances surrounding the girls’ captivity complicate such claims.
A Kidnapping That Shocked the World
Boko Haram militants abducted 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014, in one of the most notorious mass kidnappings in modern history.
The incident triggered global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, drawing support from international leaders including former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama.
Over the years approximately 189 girls have regained freedom, through negotiated releases, military operations, or escape.
According to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, about 91 girls remain unaccounted for more than a decade later.
Rescue Advocates Challenge Narrative
Some analysts say Tinubu’s comments overlook the coercive dynamics of prolonged captivity.
Emmanuel Ogebe, an international human rights lawyer who has investigated the Chibok kidnappings, told TruthNigeria the suggestion that the girls voluntarily remained with their captors is difficult to support.
“Her reported statement that Chibok girls refused to return because they are now in love is untenable for several reasons,” Ogebe said in an interview with TruthNigeria.
“They were secondary school students, many below the age of consent, and held at gunpoint under conditions of coercion.”
Ogebe also noted that several captives escaped years after the abduction, demonstrating continued efforts to regain freedom.
“At least three girls escaped under President Tinubu’s tenure,” he said.
“If they truly preferred to remain, they would not continue escaping whenever opportunities arise.”
Trauma, Coercion and Psychological Survival
Advocates for survivors of terrorism say emotional attachment in captivity does not necessarily reflect voluntary loyalty.
Gloria Puldu, a Nigerian women’s rights advocate and president of the LEAH Foundation, said prolonged captivity often produces complex psychological responses.
“Prolonged trauma and isolation can create psychological dependency, sometimes described as Stockholm Syndrome,” Puldu told TruthNigeria.
“Victims may appear to empathize with their captors as a survival mechanism.”
Puldu said such reactions should not be interpreted as consent.
“These girls were abducted as minors and subjected to years of indoctrination and coercion,” she said.
“That is no justification for abandoning efforts to rescue them.”
She also pointed to the continued captivity of Leah Sharibu, the Christian student abducted by Boko Haram in 2018 who refused to renounce her faith.
“What about Leah Sharibu, who we are told still wants to return home?” Puldu asked.
Diplomacy and Narrative
Tinubu’s comments came during a trip to Washington that included participation in the National Prayer Breakfast, where she sought to counter claims circulating internationally that Christians face systematic persecution in Nigeria.
“I don’t think so,” Tinubu said in an interview with CBN News when asked whether Nigeria is experiencing genocide against Christians.
Instead, she described the violence as rooted in terrorism, poverty and long-standing regional tensions.
Nigeria’s security crisis has drawn growing international scrutiny.
According to the advocacy group Open Doors, more than 70 percent of Christians killed worldwide for their faith in recent years have died in Nigeria.
International Pressure and Rescue Efforts
Some analysts say international attention has influenced the pace of hostage negotiations and rescue operations.
Anuhe Aba, a retired journalist and political commentator told TruthNigeria many recent releases occurred under growing diplomatic pressure.
“The reason we are seeing some of these rescues is because the world is watching Nigeria,” Aba said.
“If Nigeria were not under international pressure, many of these kidnapped students may be left to rot in captivity.”
He cited the continued detention of several captives, including Leah Sharibu, as evidence that rescue efforts remain inconsistent.
A Debate Over Responsibility
More than a decade after the Chibok abduction, questions remain about how Nigeria explains and confronts one of the country’s most traumatic national events.
For some advocates, the issue is not whether some captives formed psychological bonds during captivity.
The deeper question is whether such narratives risk minimizing the coercion and violence that defined their imprisonment.
For families of the missing girls, the priority remains unchanged.
They want their daughters brought home.
Mary Kiara reports on religious-freedom policy for TruthNigeria.
