The United Nations has strongly denounced the recent wave of mass abductions in northern Nigeria, describing the kidnapping of students and teachers in Niger and Kebbi States as a devastating violation of children’s rights and a direct assault on education in the region.
In a statement issued on Friday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organisation is deeply saddened by the abduction of more than 300 schoolchildren and educators from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State. He noted that schools must remain safe environments where young people can learn, grow, and build their future not zones of fear and violent attacks.
According to the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), its chairman, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, confirmed that 303 pupils and 12 teachers were seized by armed assailants who stormed the school premises in a coordinated attack. The incident occurred barely days after another group of students suffered a similar ordeal in neighbouring Kebbi State, intensifying growing concerns over the expanding reach of criminal gangs.
Dujarric, expressing frustration over the recurring pattern of violence targeting academic institutions, said the UN stands in unwavering solidarity with UNICEF and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, as they work closely with authorities and local communities. He emphasized that the priority remains the same: securing the immediate and safe release of the abducted children and their teachers.
“We have witnessed yet another horrific abduction, coming just days after the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Kebbi,” he said, describing the humanitarian implications as alarming and intolerable.
The UN reiterated that the frequent attacks underscore the urgent need to fully implement the Safe Schools Declaration, an international commitment designed to safeguard educational institutions in conflict-prone regions. The organisation urged Nigerian authorities to intensify protective measures, strengthen early-warning systems, and ensure accountability for perpetrators responsible for terrorising school communities.
As families in Niger and Kebbi anxiously await news of their loved ones, the global body reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria in combating child abductions and restoring safety to learning environments across the country. The UN stressed that no society can thrive when its classrooms are turned into hunting grounds for criminals, calling the situation a moral and security emergency that demands decisive action.
