Abductions: Education Faces More Setbacks In Northern Nigeria – Amnesty Int’l

Abductions and the Growing Setback to Education in Northern Nigeria

The recent wave of mass abductions in Northern Nigeria has triggered grave concern among human rights advocates, educators, and parents. Amnesty International Nigeria has sounded the alarm, warning that the escalating insecurity in schools is pushing education in the region into a deeper crisis.

On November 24, 2025, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International’s Country Director, highlighted the devastating impact of these abductions during an interview on Channels Television. He explained that the trauma of being abducted, or even the fear of such an ordeal, is deterring thousands of children from attending school.

Parents, already burdened by economic sacrifices to send their children to class, are now increasingly hesitant to expose them to the risk of kidnapping.

The situation has been compounded by recent attacks. Armed men invaded the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, abducting at least 24 schoolgirls and killing the vice principal.

Just days later, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, abducting more than 315 students and staff. Although 50 students managed to escape, the sheer scale of the incident underscores the worsening insecurity.

Sanusi warned that these events could result in an entire generation being denied access to education. He pointed out that Nigeria already has over 12 million children out of school, and the current crisis threatens to swell that number dramatically. The closures of schools in several states, prompted by security concerns, further deepen the educational void.

The broader implications are stark. In rural communities, children often play vital roles in household survival, and parents make significant sacrifices to prioritize schooling.

With abductions now a recurring threat, those sacrifices are increasingly seen as untenable. The fear of violence is eroding trust in the education system, leaving the future of millions of children in jeopardy.

Amnesty International has urged Nigerian authorities to take decisive action to protect schools and ensure that children can learn in safety.

Without urgent intervention, the organization warns, the country risks condemning a generation to illiteracy, poverty, and vulnerability.

This crisis is not only about education but also about the future stability of Northern Nigeria. The denial of schooling to millions of children threatens to perpetuate cycles of insecurity, poverty, and underdevelopment.

As Sanusi emphasized, the outlook is grim and dangerous unless immediate steps are taken to safeguard the right to education.