Nigeria’s Children Under Siege: Amnesty International Sounds the Alarm as School Attacks Spiral Out of Control

Nigeria is once again confronting the terrifying reality of a worsening security crisis as Amnesty International raises a resounding alarm over the surge in violent attacks and mass abductions targeting schools across the northern region. The human rights organization, in a strongly worded statement, condemned what it described as the government’s repeated failure to protect the nation’s most vulnerable citizens—its children—following confirmation that 315 students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State, were abducted in yet another brazen assault. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed the incident, marking one of the largest school abductions in recent years and pushing the country deeper into a cycle of fear, grief, and outrage.

The latest wave of attacks has left families in multiple states scrambling for answers as armed groups continue to unleash terror on learning institutions. According to Isa Sanusi, Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, more than 230 children were abducted in just one week in two separate attacks. This horrifying surge has forced hundreds of schools across Katsina, Plateau, Kebbi, Niger, and other states to close their gates indefinitely. What should have been the safest spaces for children have become targets, and the consequence is a nation where the simple act of going to school is now accompanied by fear.

Sanusi did not mince words in his assessment of government response, stating that the latest assaults demonstrate clearly that authorities “never cared to learn any lessons” from previous tragedies. His reference points to the year 2021, when more than 780 children were abducted in multiple attacks, some of whom were killed, while others never returned home. The pattern has only grown more alarming, and the government’s assurances of improved security ring hollow for the families who continue to search for their loved ones or live in terror of what might come next.

Nigeria’s education sector, already strained by poverty, infrastructure gaps, and regional instability, is now buckling under the weight of armed groups who have turned schools into bargaining chips. The consequences are far-reaching and devastating. Sanusi emphasized that school attendance has plummeted drastically since 2021, with many children simply too afraid to attend classes. Parents, gripped by fear and distrust in the government’s ability to keep their children safe, are making heartbreaking decisions—keeping their children home even if it means losing the opportunity for an education.

The impact on young girls is particularly alarming. Sanusi noted that increasing numbers of underaged girls are being withdrawn from school entirely and married off early under the guise of “protection” from possible abductions. This development, he said, is not only a violation of their rights but also a tragic sign of how deeply insecurity has penetrated communities. For many families, the choice is agonizing: expose their daughters to the risk of abduction or marry them off in hopes of shielding them from attackers who seem to operate with impunity.

Amnesty International has expressed deep concern that the systematic targeting of schools and children may amount to war crimes, urging the Nigerian government to conduct thorough investigations and hold perpetrators accountable. Sanusi insisted that the continued abductions show a deliberate strategy by armed groups to destabilize communities by attacking their future. “There is a deliberate attack on children by armed groups. Using children as shields or bargaining chips is unacceptable,” he stated, his words echoing the frustration and despair of citizens who have waited for years for meaningful change.

The devastation is not limited to the victims and their immediate families. Entire communities are being fractured emotionally, socially, and economically. Teachers are fleeing high-risk areas. Schools are being shut down, abandoned, or converted into temporary shelters for displaced families. And every attack chips away at the public’s confidence in the government’s capacity to protect even the most basic human rights. For many Nigerians, the sense of betrayal is palpable. Years of repeated attacks have left scars that go beyond statistics—they tell the story of a nation slowly losing grip on one of its most essential pillars: education.

The Nigerian government has often claimed to be working tirelessly to improve security, but many citizens say these reassurances have become predictable and hollow. After each attack, officials condemn the incidents, promise investigations, and vow to rescue the abducted. Yet the cycle continues—schools attacked, children taken, communities shattered, and authorities seemingly reacting rather than preventing. Amnesty International’s call for the government to classify these assaults as war crimes signals a more urgent demand for accountability and a shift from rhetoric to action.

Across northern Nigeria, frustration and fear now define the educational landscape. Parents hesitate before waking their children for school. Teachers worry about the sound of approaching motorcycles. Students, once eager to learn, now flinch at any unfamiliar noise. This is the psychological toll of unchecked violence, a burden carried by millions of children who deserve safety, stability, and hope.

Sanusi’s final words in his statement underscore a crisis that cannot be ignored. “No child should go through this. Education should not be a matter of life and death.” The message is clear: Nigeria stands at a crossroads, and the cost of inaction could be irreversible. If schools remain war zones and classrooms become empty, the nation risks raising a generation without the tools to thrive, lead, or rebuild.

Amnesty International’s warning is more than a critique—it is a plea for the Nigerian government to act swiftly, decisively, and transparently. It is a demand to prioritize children over politics, security over optics, and justice over empty promises. As the world watches, Nigeria must confront the crisis within its borders with honesty and courage. Every day that passes without action is another day that children remain in danger, another day that armed groups strengthen their grip, and another day that the promise of education fades further into despair.

Until real steps are taken to secure schools, dismantle criminal networks, and bring perpetrators to justice, Nigerian children will continue to live under the shadow of fear. For a country with dreams of progress and global significance, allowing its future to be repeatedly stolen is a tragedy that cannot be normalized. The time for urgent action is now, before more young lives are lost, and before the darkness engulfing Nigeria’s education system becomes permanent.