The Global Student Forum (GSF) expresses its profound concern and alarm over the recent mass abduction of 275 pupils from a school in northwestern Nigeria, a tragic event that starkly highlights the escalating crisis impacting educational institutions in the region. With a majority of the missing children aged between eight and 15, this devastating act endangers young people and is a grave violation of schools as a safe place.
This incident in Kaduna, as reported by local government officials and Al Jazeera, underscores a harrowing pattern of violence targeting schools, marking it as the second mass abduction within a week in Nigeria. Despite the efforts of search and rescue teams deployed to locate the missing children, the community remains in anguish, with many parents and guardians left in despair.
The GSF strongly condemns these acts of violence and kidnapping, which are becoming increasingly common and pose a significant threat to the safety and well-being of students in Nigeria and across the region. Schools are meant to be safe havens for learning and development, not arenas of fear and violence. The impact of such events on the mental and physical health of students, as well as on their families and communities, is immeasurable.
We echo the sentiments of UNICEF and Amnesty International in calling upon the Nigerian government and international community to take decisive and immediate action to ensure the safe return of all abducted students and to hold the perpetrators accountable. Furthermore, we urge the implementation of more robust security measures to protect schools from such attacks and to safeguard children’s right to education.
The recurring violence against educational institutions in Nigeria reflects a broader crisis that requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including governments, security agencies, educational authorities, and international organizations, to address the root causes and create a safe and conducive environment for learning.
Education is a basic human right, essential for individual development and the advancement of societies. The GSF stands in solidarity with the students, families, and educational communities affected by this tragedy.