Nigeria failing children… no child should risk life for an education – Amnesty International

Amnesty International has berated the Nigerian government for failing to protect children amid a surge in violent attacks and abductions targeting schools in northern Nigeria.

On November 17, gunmen scaled the perimeter fence of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, in Danko/Wasagu LGA of Kebbi, and seized25 girls, some as young as 13.

Days later, some gunmen abducted over 300 pupils from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Niger state.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the global human rights organisation said the recent kidnapping of 315 students and staff is part of a disturbing pattern of insecurity in the region.

Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said the government’s response has been inadequate, adding that over 230 children remain in captivity following mass abductions in Katsina, Plateau, and other northern states this week alone.

“The latest attacks in Kebbi and Niger states show the authorities have failed to learn from past incidents where children were killed or abducted,” Sanusi said.

He added that more than 780 children were kidnapped for ransom during similar attacks in 2021, with some losing their lives.

“School children in some parts of northern Nigeria are constantly at-risk of death or abduction,” the statement reads.

“The future of thousands of school children in Northern Nigeria remains bleak, as hundreds of schools in some states have been closed indefinitely due to rising insecurity.

“Hundreds of children will entirely abandon education due to the psychological trauma of witnessing violent attacks or living in captivity.”

The statement added that teachers in Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger states told Amnesty International that fear of abduction has drastically reduced school attendance since 2021, adding that underage girls are being forced into early marriages as families try to protect them from kidnappers.

Amnesty asked the Nigerian government to treat these attacks as war crimes and crimes against humanity, urging immediate action to safeguard children and ensure perpetrators face justice.

“No child should have to risk their life to get an education. Nigeria is failing its children in a horrifying way,” he said.

Amnesty International said attacks on schools violate international law and demanded thorough investigations and fair trials for those responsible.