Amnesty International has condemned the Nigerian government for failing to protect children in northern states, following the abduction of more than 230 schoolchildren in a series of violent attacks this week.
The organisation said gunmen carried out two mass assaults on schools in Kebbi and Niger states, forcing the closure of hundreds of schools across Katsina, Plateau, and other regions. The attacks have disrupted the education of thousands of children and reignited fears of widespread insecurity in the country’s north.
“School children in some parts of northern Nigeria are constantly at risk of death or abduction. More than 780 children were abducted for ransom in 2021 during mass attacks on schools or religious institutions, with some killed during the assaults,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
Sanusi warned that the future of education in northern Nigeria is bleak, as hundreds of schools remain indefinitely shut due to insecurity. He added that many children may abandon schooling altogether, traumatised by violent attacks or prolonged captivity.
Teachers in Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger states told Amnesty International that attendance has plummeted since 2021, with children too afraid to attend classes even when urged by their parents. The crisis has also led to underage girls being withdrawn from school and married off, as families attempt to shield them from potential abductions.
Amnesty International stressed that attacks on educational institutions have far-reaching consequences, undermining children’s rights and threatening the country’s future.
“There is a deliberate attack on children by armed groups. Using children as shields or bargaining chips is unacceptable and must stop. The Nigerian government must investigate these attacks as war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Sanusi said.
He added, “No child should go through what children are going through now in northern Nigeria. Education should not be a matter of life and death for anyone. Nigeria is failing children once again in a horrifying manner.”
The organisation called on authorities to provide urgent protection for schools and students, investigate the attacks thoroughly, and bring perpetrators to justice in fair trials. Amnesty International emphasised that attacks on schools violate international law and represent a grave disregard for the right to life and education.
