After surviving the trauma of abduction and expressing hope and victory over terrorism through resilience, 12 female students who survived the 2014 abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents have graduated from the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola.
The girls whose tuition fees were paid by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs after their release through the intervention of the Federal Government were among over 250 students kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok.
The graduates were among AUN’s Class of 2026 to celebrate the successful completion of their first degrees.
President of AUN, Prof. Dewayne Frazier, while speaking at the graduation ceremony over the weekend, described the graduation of the Chibok captives more than the award of degrees.
Frazier described education as one of the strongest weapons against violence and hopelessness, stressing that the university remained committed to producing leaders capable of transforming society.
According to him, the graduates carried not only their personal dreams but also the hopes and prayers of millions across Nigeria and beyond who refused to allow their story end in pain and captivity.
“This graduation is far more than the completion of a degree, it is a sacred moment of triumph over fear, resilience over trauma and hope over everything that once tried to silence their future.
“As they cross this stage, they carry the prayers of families, communities and people around the world who believed their future must not be stolen,” he added.
He paid tribute to AUN founder, for establishing the institution as Nigeria’s first private university built on the American model of liberal arts education.
In her remarks, Minister of Women Affairs, Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim, described the graduation of the Chibok female students as “a triumph over Boko Haram and proof that terrorism cannot defeat the human spirit.”
One of the graduates, Margaret Yanama, expressed gratitude to the university management and lecturers for supporting them throughout their studies.
“I never thought I would be able to cope, but the encouragement from our lecturers, fellow students and my sisters gave us strength to continue. Today, we are graduates.”
Also, chairman of the Chibok Community, Yakubu Nkika, thanked the Federal Government, the Ministry of Women Affairs and AUN for supporting the girls through their recovery and educational journey after years of trauma.
“God has written Chibok’s name in gold, there was a time many families had lost hope of ever seeing these children again, but today they are graduates,” he said.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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