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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has condemned the recent activities of armed bandits in Kaduna State that resulted in the abduction of over 200 school children at Kuriga, Kaduna State.
The bandits reportedly invaded the Kuriga area of the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Thursday, shooting at their victims before taking away the pupils and some of their teachers.
The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, in a statement, said that the alarming frequency of attacks on educational facilities across the country signals a crisis that requires immediate and determined action from all levels of government and society.
She said: “Schools are supposed to be sanctuaries of learning and growth, not sites of fear and violence. This latest abduction, as any previously, is highly condemnable and part of a worrying trend of attacks on educational institutions in Nigeria, particularly in the northwest, where armed groups have intensified their campaign of violence and kidnappings.
“Just a day prior to this incident, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mohamed Malick Fall, spoke about the abductions of large numbers of women, girls and boys by members of a non-state armed group in Borno State.
“UNICEF urges immediate action to ensure the safe return of the abducted children and staff, and calls on authorities to implement comprehensive measures to secure schools across Nigeria. “It is imperative that the safety and security of students and educators are guaranteed, allowing schools to fulfill their role as safe havens for learning and development.”
