The Chibok people, also known as the Kibaku people, are an ethnic group in Nigeria whose name became internationally known following the 2014 mass abduction of schoolgirls.

Here are key things to know about them:

Location and Identity

• Location: The Chibok people primarily inhabit the Chibok Local Government Area (LGA) in the southern part of Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria.
• Language: They speak the Kibaku language (also called Chibok or Cibak), which belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family.
• Origin: The Kibaku are an ethnocultural fusion of several ethnic groups—including the Babir/Bura, Kanuri, Kilba, Margi, Shuwa, and Fulani—who migrated to the Chibok hills around the 18th and 19th centuries, often to escape slave raids and the disintegration of the Kanem-Bornu Empire.

Culture and History

• Livelihood: They are traditionally an agrarian people (farmers).
• Traditional Governance: Their traditional chieftaincy structure, with titles like “Mai” (chief) and “Maina” (prince), reflects the strong influence of the neighboring Kanuri people and the Borno Emirate. Historically, they lived in autonomous communities before being incorporated into the Borno Emirate.
• Colonial Resistance: The Chibok people are known for their fierce independence; they were reportedly one of the last groups in Nigeria to submit to British colonial rule, eventually being defeated in 1907.

Religion and Modern Challenges

• Religion: The Chibok community is notably diverse, though historically it has a significant population of Christians, which is relatively high for that part of northern Nigeria. There is also a notable Muslim presence, and the two groups traditionally lived together peacefully.
• Boko Haram Conflict: Chibok gained global attention in April 2014 when the Islamist militant group Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in the town. This tragic event sparked the international #BringBackOurGirls campaign and highlighted the vulnerability of the Chibok and other communities in the region to the Boko Haram insurgency.