Nigeria: Schools Should Be ‘Sanctuaries, Not Targets,’ Says UN Deputy Chief After Latest Mass Kidnapping

A report initially stated that 215 students were kidnapped from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State, early Friday morning; however, the figure was later revised to 303 students and 12 teachers, as per the Christian Association of Nigeria. The association’s president, who visited the school on Friday, mentioned that over 80 students were taken after attempting to flee during the armed kidnapping. The kidnapped individuals were both male and female, aged 10 to 18.

This incident marks the second mass kidnapping this week. The number of girls abducted from the Catholic school exceeds the 276 girls kidnapped in the 2014 Chibok incident and is part of a series of mass kidnappings, including one earlier this week when 25 students were abducted from a school in Kebbi State. No group has claimed responsibility yet, and security forces have been deployed to find the students and their captors. All schools in Niger State have reportedly been closed until further notice.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed, a former Nigerian environment minister, emphasized on social media that schools should be sanctuaries for education and not targets, urging for the protection of schools and holding perpetrators accountable. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Fall expressed his condolences to the families and communities affected, stressing the need for safe return of the students and staff. He also mentioned the importance of implementing the principle of safe schools, a concept launched at the first international conference on safe schools in Oslo in 2015, and endorsed by Nigeria through the Safe Schools Declaration that year.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced it is working with government partners, civil society, and communities to reinforce child protection systems, following the declaration that no child should face risks in pursuing education. UNESCO in Nigeria also condemned the mass kidnapping, reiterating that schools should never be targets and calling for the immediate release of all abducted children.