“Amnesty International Sounds Alarm: Children in Northern Nigeria at Constant Risk of Abduction”

Amnesty International has strongly condemned Nigerian authorities for failing to ensure the safety of children in the country’s northern states, following the abduction of more than 230 students in Kebbi and Niger this week.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The human rights organisation warned that the latest kidnappings underscore the government’s continued inability to prevent attacks on educational institutions, which have already forced hundreds of schools to close and disrupted the education of thousands of children in states including Katsina and Plateau.

“School children in some parts of northern Nigeria are constantly at risk of death or abduction,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, adding that the authorities’ response has been inadequate.

Sanusi recalled that over 780 children were kidnapped from schools and religious centres in 2021, with some losing their lives during these attacks. He argued that the repeated abductions indicate a failure by authorities to learn from past incidents.

Amnesty International also reported a sharp decline in school attendance in Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger, as parents keep children at home due to fear of abduction. Many young girls, the organisation noted, have been withdrawn from school entirely and forced into early marriages to avoid the risk of kidnapping.

“The future of thousands of school children in northern Nigeria remains bleak, as hundreds of schools have been closed indefinitely due to rising insecurity,” Sanusi said. “The psychological trauma from witnessing violent attacks or living in captivity may push many children to abandon education altogether.”

The group emphasised that attacks on schools have serious and long-term consequences. It reminded Nigeria of its obligations under international law to protect children and ensure that abductions, killings, and intimidation do not undermine the country’s education system.

“There is a deliberate attack on children by armed groups. Using children as shields or bargaining chips is unacceptable and must stop,” Sanusi added. He urged the government to treat these attacks as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity, strengthen security around schools, and prosecute all perpetrators through fair trials.

“No child should face the threats that students in northern Nigeria are experiencing. Education should never be a matter of life and death,” he concluded.