From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
More than 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped in Nigeria since the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State, with fear of attacks stopping some children from ever attending school, according to Save the Children International (SCI).
This was disclosed in a statement by the Media Manager of SCI, Kunle Olawoyin, which was made available to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday.
SCI recalled that in April 2014, the abduction from a school in Chibok made global headlines and sparked the #BringBackOurGirls movement and protests, which attracted public support from celebrities and public figures including Malala Yousafzai, Hillary Clinton, and then First Lady Michelle Obama.
The statement read in part:” However, new data analysis by Save the Children reveals that attacks on schools have been continuing out the spotlight and highlights the violence that schoolchildren and teachers face across Nigeria.
‘In addition to the abductions, over 180 schoolchildren were killed and nearly 90 injured in 70 attacks between April 2014 and December 2022, with an estimated 60 school staff kidnapped and 14 killed. Twenty-five school buildings were reportedly destroyed during that period.”
Save the Children noted that the majority of the attacks took place in North-West Nigeria (49 attacks), followed by North-Central Nigeria (11 attacks).
“These attacks have long-lasting consequences for communities and children’s access to education, often leading to the mass withdrawal of children from school and school closures. In Katsina state in the North-Western part of the country, nearly 100 schools remain closed due to insecurity, affecting the education of over 30,000 children.
“In the aftermath of attacks, children and communities are left traumatized, and the majority does not receive psychological support.”
“During focus group discussions with affected communities, Save the Children staff found that many children were too scared to return to school. One girl, who survived the Chibok school attack, said: “I am afraid of being a victim some other day and afraid of dying or raped by the insurgents”, SCI stressed.
According to Famari Barro, Country Director of Save the Children Nigeria, “more needed to be done to prevent attacks, but also to support children and their families in the aftermath.
“Nearly 10 years after the tragic abduction of the Chibok girls made international headlines, more than 90 of them are still held or missing, and countless children and teachers still live under the threat of violence, forcing many to flee or interrupt their education, sometimes forever.
“The combination of the trauma and loss of education resulting from these attacks is likely to be lifelong unless children are provided with the means and support to recover from the traumatic events they have been through and can return to school.
“Children’s lives and right to education must be protected through the implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration across the country.”
