Human Rights Watch has berated the federal and state governments for consistently failing to learn from past school kidnappings, leaving students and teachers vulnerable to repeated abductions.
The group, therefore, called on the government to act urgently to secure the safe release of those recently kidnapped and to implement concrete measures to protect schools and communities from further attacks.
Recall that the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction in Borno State by Boko Haram sparked global outrage, as did the December 2020 kidnapping of more than 300 boys from a boarding school in Kankara, Katsina State.
HRW, in research led by Anietie Ewang, lamented that the repeated kidnappings highlighted a worrying pattern of negligence.
“Nigerian authorities have failed to apply lessons from previous attacks to create early warning systems and other measures that could prevent these atrocities.
“The deepening crisis underscores the government’s failure to protect vulnerable communities,” the statement said.
Nigeria has in recent years been plagued by violent attacks and kidnappings by criminal gangs colloquially called ‘bandits.’
On November 18, 2025, 25 schoolgirls were abducted by unidentified armed men from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.
Three days later, on November 21, 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State. Fifty of the Niger students have been freed thus far.
HRW described it as worrisome that no group had claimed responsibility for the recent attacks.
The group also highlighted the distress of parents of two of the girls abducted in Kebbi State.
Isa Nazifi, whose 13-year-old daughter Khadija Nazifi, a junior secondary school student, was taken, said: “I immediately took a motorbike and rushed to the school, where I found my second daughter, also a student at the school. She told me Khadija had been taken. We are extremely worried. My wife is in tears. I will stay here at the school until my daughter returns. If I go home without her, what will I tell my family?”
Another parent, Sani Zimri, whose daughter, Salima Zimri, a senior secondary school student, was also abducted, added that they had heard rumours of a possible attack by bandits the week before.
“We developed confidence after seeing military operatives doing surveillance in the area, only to realise that there were no security operatives on the premises for the entire three hours that the incident occurred,” he said.
In response to the recent kidnappings, the government has promised to rescue the students and hold those responsible accountable.
President Bola Tinubu directed security agencies to act swiftly to bring the children back while urging local communities to share intelligence.
Authorities have also closed 47 federal secondary schools, known as Federal Unity Colleges, while some states, including Katsina, Taraba, and Niger, have restricted school activities, particularly in boarding institutions.
While these measures are intended to protect students, HRW lamented that the closures have disrupted learning for thousands, denying children access to education and the social and psychological support schools provide.
“Without concrete alternatives for learning, students risk falling behind academically and facing long-term setbacks,” the statement said.
“Nigeria is a signatory to the Safe Schools Declaration, committing the government to take steps to protect education during conflict and insecurity. Yet, kidnappings continue at a relentless pace.”
On November 19, the Nigerian Senate ordered a full-scale investigation into the implementation of the Safe School Fund, questioning why money earmarked for protecting schools has failed to prevent recurring attacks.
“The government must urgently advance legislation to implement the Safe Schools Declaration,” HRW said.
“Children in Nigeria have the right to go to school without fearing for their lives. Nigerian authorities should prioritise the safe release of the kidnapped children and their teachers and bring those responsible for their abduction to justice.”
HRW recalled that in 2016, Boko Haram abducted over 300 children from the Zanna Mobarti Primary School in Damasak, Borno State.
In December 2020, more than 300 boys were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kankara, Katsina state.
In early 2021, students were taken in major incidents in Kagara, Niger State, and Jangebe, Zamfara State, followed by the abduction of over 100 students from Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State.
The spate continued in 2024, with students abducted from Kuriga, Kaduna State, and Gidan Bakuso, Sokoto State.
