A recent claim by President Bola Tinubu's social media aide, Dada Olusegun, about the Goodluck Jonathan administration's response to the 2014 Chibok girls' abduction has sparked controversy and requires factual examination.
The Controversial Claim and Its Context
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, Dada Olusegun, special assistant on social media to President Tinubu, asserted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration under former President Goodluck Jonathan had insisted the Chibok girls' abduction was a lie. This statement came amid public calls for action following another school abduction in Kebbi state where 25 students were taken by bandits.
The aide made this claim while responding to public commentator Kayode Ogundamisi, who had shared a photograph of Tinubu from his opposition days holding a 'Bring Back Our Girls Sharply' placard. Olusegun accused Ogundamisi of being disingenuous and creating false equivalence between the current administration's response and that of the Jonathan government.
What Actually Happened During Jonathan's Administration
Fact-checking reveals that Jonathan's administration never officially claimed the abduction was false. However, there were significant delays and conflicting responses that drew widespread criticism.
The historical record shows that on April 14, 2014, Boko Haram terrorists abducted 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state. The incident sparked global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign that involved prominent figures like former US First Lady Michelle Obama.
Current Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was Borno state governor at the time, revealed that President Jonathan took 19 days to contact him about the abduction. The New York Times editorial of May 6, 2014, described Jonathan as shockingly slow and inept in addressing the crime.
Broader Pattern of School Abductions in Nigeria
The Chibok abduction marked the beginning of a disturbing trend in Nigeria's northern region. According to ABC News reports, at least 1,500 students have been kidnapped since 2014, with armed groups using abductions as a lucrative funding method.
Recent incidents continue this pattern, including the November 17, 2025 abduction of 25 students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi state. During this attack, the school's vice principal, Hassan Makuku, was killed and the principal was shot.
While school raids have decreased in recent years due to improved security measures, the fundamental threat remains. The lack of progress against Boko Haram during Jonathan's administration is widely considered to have contributed to his 2015 election loss.
The factual record clearly shows that while the Jonathan administration was criticized for its slow response and initial downplaying of Boko Haram's threat, there is no evidence supporting the claim that it officially denied the abduction occurred.
