Nigeria: Targeted Attacks On Children Endangering Right to Education in Nigeria – – Amnesty Int’l

Global rights organization, Amnesty International, on Thursday night, called on the Federal Government to address the security challenges in the country, saying that escalating attacks targeting children endanger the right to education in the country.

The organisation particularly raised the alarm that the future of thousands of school children in Northern Nigeria remains bleak as hundreds of schools in some states have been closed indefinitely due to rising insecurity.

A statement by AI’s Country Director, Osai Ojigho, noted that many children have abandoned education due to the psychological trauma of witnessing violent attacks or living in captivity.

Ojigho said, “No child should go through what children are going through now in Nigeria. Education should not be a matter of life and death for anyone. Nigeria is failing children once again in a horrifying manner.

“School children in some parts of northern Nigeria are constantly at risk of death or abduction.

“More than 780 children have been abducted for ransom since February 2021 during mass attacks on schools or religious institutions, with some of the children killed during the attacks. Parents of the abducted children or the school authorities are sometimes made to provide food and clothing for the children while in captivity.

“There is a deliberate attack on children by armed groups. Using children as shields or bargaining chips is unacceptable and must stop. The Nigeria government must investigate these attacks as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“Attacks on schools, abductions and killings of schoolchildren demonstrate an absolute disregard for the right to life and the right to education. The Nigerian authorities must provide protection for schools and children. Attacks on schools are a violation of international law and the authorities must ensure that these attacks are properly investigated, and alleged perpetrators brought to justice in fair trials without recourse to the death penalty.”