Join us in thanking God for another Chibok girl, Lydia Simon, regaining her freedom! Last week, we reported that on 14 April, the Chibok community and families remembered the 10 years since the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from their dormitories at the federal government school in Chibok. By Thursday, 18 April, Lydia was released.
Join us in thanking God for another Chibok girl, Lydia Simon, regaining her freedom! Last week, we reported that on 14 April, the Chibok community and families remembered the 10 years since the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from their dormitories at the federal government school in Chibok. By Thursday, 18 April, Lydia was released.
According to the BBC, the Nigerian army rescued Lydia, a mother of three who is also five months pregnant. The army did not share details of the rescue other than to say she and her children were found in the community of Ngoshe.
Prayers to Bring the Girls Home
During the 10-year service on 14 April, parents told Open Doors’ partners that, even if their daughters are freed with children, they do not care about the stigma that is often associated with women who return pregnant or have children with Boko Haram fighters.
“My hope and prayer is that the God that doesn’t fail will bring back our own children. Even if they have children now, no matter the condition they are in, we want them that way,” Yana Gala a Chibok parent said. Yana’s daughter Rifkatu is still among those missing.
“What I want the world to know is that the government should help find these girls wherever they are. I am pleading with them to pity us just like others were released; our children should be released so I can be happy and forget my sorrows,” Isia Malam, another father told us. His daughter Hauwa is also counted among those still in captivity.
A Reason for Thanksgiving
It is unclear what will happen to Lydia and her children now that she is no longer in the hands of Boko Haram. Recently, Reuters shared the news that some Chibok girls are now living inside a military-run rehabilitation camp with surrendered Boko Haram fighters they married. Three surviving women told Reuters that in at least five cases, women who arrived at the camp unmarried have been married to surrendered fighters once there.
The news of Lydia Simon’s release is reason for thanksgiving. Please continue to pray alongside the Chibok parents and community for the release of all the girls.
“Prayer is our only solution, if not for prayers we don’t know what else to do, and with that we trust that, as God released some, He will release all,” Hanatu Dauda shares. Her daughter, Saratu, was freed but now lives in the government run rehabilitation camp in Maiduguri.
Pray for Nigeria:
- Join us in praising and thanking God for Lydia’s release alongside her children.
- Please continue praying that the remaining Chibok girls will be safely released from captivity. Pray for their mental, physical, and spiritual health.
- Pray for Lydia and her children as they begin a new life with their family, that God will heal any trauma they have experienced and will help them to readjust to their new surroundings.
Stay updated with the latest prayer requests from the persecuted church.
