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Amnesty International has said Nigeria is failing its children in a “horrifying manner,” as 42 school children abducted in Borno State in May remain in captivity 108 days later.
The rights group said the prolonged detention of the children, taken from Askira Uba Local Government Area on May 15, is part of a broader crisis affecting children across the country.
“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,” Amnesty International Nigeria said in a statement on Monday.
The rights group warned that the future of thousands of schoolchildren in Northern Nigeria remains bleak, with hundreds of schools in some states closed indefinitely due to rising insecurity.
Many children have abandoned education due to the psychological trauma of witnessing violent attacks or living in captivity, Amnesty said.
Mental health experts have warned that children exposed to such incidents could develop post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and trust issues that may persist into adulthood.
Psychiatrists have urged immediate psychological support for affected children.
The Borno abduction occurred on the same day armed men attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 39 pupils and six teachers. The Oyo victims were rescued on July 10 after 56 days in captivity, but one teacher was killed by the kidnappers.
According to Amnesty International, repeated attacks on schools have forced millions of children to abandon education.
Amnesty called on the Nigerian government to do more to safely and securely rescue all school children in captivity and to hold suspected perpetrators accountable.
“Government of Nigeria must do more to safely and securely rescue all school children in captivity. Suspected perpetrators must be held to account,” the statement said.
