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Nigeria Is Failing Children In A Horrifying Manner – Amnesty International

ByYusuf Oketola

PublishedNovember 24, 2025

Amnesty International has accused authorities in Nigeria of failing children over the spate of kidnapping across the country lately.

According to Amnesty International, over 230 children in the northern part of Nigeria are currently in captivity of gunmen, after their abduction during two mass attacks on schools that also interrupted the education of thousands of children because of closure of hundreds of schools in Katsina, Plateau and other states.

“The latest wave of horrific attacks on schools in Kebbi and Niger state, clearly show Nigerian authorities never cared to learn any lessons from such previous incidents in which some school children were also killed by gunmen.

“School children in some parts of northern Nigeria are constantly at the risk death or abduction. More than 780 children were abducted for ransom in 2021 during mass attacks on schools or religious institutions, with some of the children killed during the attacks,” said Isa Sanusi Director Amnesty International Nigeria.

“The future of thousands of school children in Northern Nigeria remains bleak, as hundreds of schools in some states have been closed indefinitely due to rising insecurity. Hundreds of children will entirely abandon education due to the psychological trauma of witnessing violent attacks or living in captivity,” said Isa Sanusi.

Some teachers in Zamfara, Katsina and Niger state told Amnesty International that insecurity has drastically reduced school attendance since 2021, as children are afraid of attending schools even when forced by their parents. Underaged girls are having their education terminated, as they are increasingly married up in the name of shielding them from possible abduction at schools.

“There is a deliberate attack on children by armed groups. Using children as shields or bargaining chips is unacceptable and must stop. The Nigeria government must investigate these attacks as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“No child should go through what children are going through now in northern Nigeria. Education should not be a matter of life and death for anyone. Nigeria is failing children once again in a horrifying manner,” said Isa Sanusi

The organisation posited that attacks on schools, abductions and killings of school children demonstrate an absolute disregard for the right to life and the right to education.

It added that Nigerian authorities must provide protection for schools and children, saying attacks on schools are a violation of international law and the authorities must ensure that these attacks are properly investigated, and alleged perpetrators brought to justice in fair trials.

Yusuf Oketola

Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.