RipplesMetrics: View of Nigerian states becoming vulnerable to attacks on school children

On March 7, gunmen abducted 287 school children from the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The school teacher confirmed that about 100 primary school children and 187 junior secondary school children were kidnapped from the school. Barely 24 hours later, in another state, 15 students were reported missing following the mass abduction in the Gidan Bakuso area of Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

This would make a total of 302 students kidnapped within two days in a week.

School abductions have continued to worsen. From the abduction of over 270 female students from the Government Girls Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State by the Boko Haram terrorist group under former president Goodluck Johnathan till the current administration headed by President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian schools in Northern region have become vulnerable to attacks.

Findings by RippleMetrics have shown that more than 1,000 students have been abducted between 2014 and 2024; with most cases being recorded under former president Muhammadu Buhari, who on several occasions, promised to end the rising insecurity challenges when he assumed office in 2015 and 2019.

Media reports also revealed that victims of the abduction involved primary school children, junior/senior secondary school students, university students and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). While some of the abductees, over the years, have been rescued through ransom payment or the effort of the security legacies in Nigeria, many others are still in the den of the kidnappers.

RipplesMetric has reported that over 8,000 people were killed in various insecurity crises rocking the country in 2023. Some of these deaths recorded were in the process of kidnapping carried out by bandits.

The abduction spree

Under the Jonathan adminiatration, 276 from Girls Secondary School, Chibok, were kidnapped by Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State. This was the first time Nigerian insecurity devolved into schools, leading to the abduction of children.

Four years after, under the Buhari regime, 110 students were kidnapped after Boko Haram invaded the Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) in Dapchi in 2018.

During his second term in office, which was marred with various school abductions, 303 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina in December 2020. Another, 80 Islamic school students were kidnapped, some days after, in the same state.

In 2021, Nigeria recorded multiple abductions from schools. Gunmen raided the Government Science College Kagara, in Niger State, capturing 27 students and teachers from the school. Another incident was the abduction of 317 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe in Jangebe, Zamfara State.

Also, 39 students were kidnapped from the College of Forestry, Afaka, Kaduna; 20 students from Greenfield University in Kaduna State; over 100 children from an Islamic school in Niger State; 96 Students Kidnapped At Govt College, Birnin Yauri, in Kebbi state.

In addition, over 153 Students Of Baptist High School Kidnapped in Kaduna, also a student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Ogun state, was abducted. Another 73 students at Government Day Secondary School in Kaya, Zamfara state, nine students were kidnapped in Sakkai, Faskari LGA of Katsina state, and 15 students at the College of Agriculture and Animal Health in Bakura, Zamfara state.

In 2023, 24 Students were kidnapped In NorthWestern Nigeria Varsity, Kano state. Also, two undergraduate students were abducted from their hostels opposite the main campus of the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara state.

By James Odunayo

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