On the International Day of the African Child, Amnesty International issued a stark warning to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, demanding immediate and decisive action to safeguard schoolchildren nationwide. The human rights group highlighted the alarming frequency of attacks and kidnappings targeting educational institutions.
In a message shared via X, the organization painted a grim picture of empty desks across classrooms in states like Kwara, Kogi, Borno, and Oyo. These vacant seats, they argued, symbolize children who should be studying, playing, and dreaming of their futures but are instead caught in a cycle of violence and captivity.
Amnesty International stressed that the persistent assaults on schools and mass abductions demonstrate that Nigeria’s children remain critically vulnerable, necessitating urgent government intervention. The group reiterated that the right to education and personal safety must be upheld for every child.
Expressing solidarity with grieving families, the organization declared that no child is expendable and that every captive child must be brought home safely. They emphasized that children represent the nation’s collective future.
The call to action concluded with a direct appeal to President Tinubu: “Nigerian children cannot wait. Take urgent action to bring every child in captivity home.”