BREAKING: Amnesty International Accuses Tinubu of Failing Children In A Horrifying Manner 

• Amnesty International has condemned the recent wave of school abductions in northern Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to protect children as hundreds remain in captivity and many schools shut down due to rising insecurity.

Global human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has condemned the ongoing wave of attacks and abductions sweeping across Nigeria, especially in the northern region, warning that the Nigerian government is failing to safeguard the lives and education of children.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Amnesty International said recent incidents highlight the government’s inability to protect schoolchildren, following confirmation by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that 315 students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Niger State, were abducted.

“The Nigerian authorities are failing children, as over 230 children in the north are in captivity this week after mass abductions that also disrupted education across Katsina, Plateau, and other states due to the closure of hundreds of schools,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

The organisation said the latest attacks in Kebbi and Niger states show the government has not learned from past tragedies where schoolchildren were previously kidnapped and, in some cases, killed. It noted that more than 780 children were abducted in 2021 during assaults on schools and places of worship.

Amnesty International also warned that the future of many children in northern Nigeria remains uncertain as hundreds of schools remain closed indefinitely due to insecurity, forcing many students—especially girls—to drop out or face early marriage under the guise of protection.

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Teachers in Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger states told the organisation that school attendance has drastically declined since 2021 as fear grips communities. Many children are unwilling to attend classes even with parental pressure.

“When educational institutions are attacked, the consequences are far-reaching. Children’s lives and futures are at stake, and the Nigerian authorities must ensure schools are safe from intimidation, abductions, and killings,” Sanusi said.

He condemned armed groups for what he described as deliberate attacks on children, calling for such crimes to be investigated as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“No child should be subjected to what schoolchildren are facing in northern Nigeria. Education should not be a life-or-death matter. Nigeria is failing its children once again in a horrifying manner,” Sanusi added.

Amnesty International urged the Nigerian government to strengthen protection for schools, fully investigate attacks, and ensure that those responsible are prosecuted in fair trials.