The international human rights organization, Amnesty International, has issued an urgent appeal to the Nigerian government to take swift action to free schoolchildren kidnapped in Borno and Oyo states. In a statement posted on X on Friday, the group warned that the children are in grave danger and need to be saved without delay.
Amnesty highlighted that these abductions underscore the escalating threat to students and communities that are repeatedly subjected to armed assaults. The organization emphasized that all children held by armed groups must be rescued, and that attacks on educational institutions should be regarded as serious breaches of international law.
“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,” the organization stated. It further declared that “attacks on schools and abductions of children are war crimes.”
The group also pointed out that ongoing insecurity has forced many children to drop out of school, and teachers in affected areas have been displaced due to persistent violence. “Other children have had to abandon their education after being displaced by frequent violent attacks on their communities, and many teachers have been forced to flee to other states,” Amnesty added.
Amnesty stressed that schools should remain sanctuaries of safety, not sites of fear or danger. “Schools should be places of safety, and no child should have to choose between their education and their life,” the organization said. It called on Nigerian authorities to implement immediate and concrete measures to prevent further school attacks, protect children, and uphold their right to education.