By Palang Paul
Amnesty International has warned that children abducted in Oyo and Borno states are at serious risk of harm, calling on Nigerian authorities to take urgent action to secure their safe return and protect schools from escalating attacks by armed groups.
In a statement, the human rights organization expressed deep concern over the fate of the abducted children, including at least 47 schoolchildren and teachers kidnapped in Oyo State, stressing that authorities must make every effort to rescue them and all other children currently being held by armed groups.
“The children abducted in Borno and Oyo are at serious risk of being harmed. Nigerian authorities must take all measures to return them to safety, along with all children currently under the custody of armed groups,” Amnesty International said.
The organization emphasized that attacks on schools and the abduction of children constitute war crimes under international law and urged the Nigerian government to hold perpetrators accountable.
Amnesty International further noted that schools should be safe spaces for learning and development, not scenes of violence and fear.
“Schools should be places of safety, and no child should have to choose between their education and their life,” the organization stated.
According to Amnesty International, the growing insecurity around educational institutions has had devastating consequences for children across affected communities. Many students have been forced to abandon their education after being displaced by recurring attacks, while numerous teachers have fled to safer areas in search of protection.
The rights group warned that continued attacks on schools threaten the future of thousands of children and risk worsening Nigeria’s education crisis.
Amnesty International therefore called on federal and state authorities to act immediately to prevent further attacks on schools, safeguard children’s lives, and guarantee their right to education.
As families anxiously await the return of their loved ones, the organization urged the government to prioritize the rescue of the abducted children and implement stronger measures to protect schools and vulnerable communities from future attacks.
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