News / Thoughts

Nigeria: Two more Chibok women found

Some really good news! A further two of the Chibok girls have found freedom! Hauwa Maltha and Esther Marcus, both now aged 26, were fetching water on 21 April when they were found and rescued by the Nigerian army.

The women told media that they were forcefully married to Boko Haram fighters. When the men died or disappeared, they were given to other men. Each of them has been ‘married’ three times. Esther has one child, whilst Hauwa gave birth to her second child days after being freed.

Image: A father of one of the Chibok girls pointing to a picture of his kidnapped daughter in a newspaper in 2014

“We received this excellent news with great joy!” shares an Open Doors spokesperson for work in sub-Saharan Africa. “These women’s parents have waited nine long years for their daughters to come home. Pray for these women as they undergo government-provided medical care and assessment.”

The Chibok kidnappings happened when Boko Haram militants raided a school in northern Nigeria in April 2014. Initially 265 girls (now women) were taken, and it’s believed to be 94 are still unaccounted for. Thank you for your continued prayers for the women and their families.

Pray now…

• Give thanks for the release of these 2 women and their children
• That they will heal of their trauma, and that they will be equipped and empowered to pursue their dreams
• For the release of the remaining women, and Leah Sharibu, and that God will strengthen their parents as they wait for news.