The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Government and security agencies to immediately locate and secure the safe release of 25 students and a teacher abducted from a boarding school in Kebbi State on Monday.
SERAP, in a statement posted on its verified X account, condemned the attack and warned that it would hold Nigerian authorities accountable if the abductees are not urgently and safely rescued.
According to preliminary reports, armed assailants exchanged gunfire with police officers before scaling the school’s perimeter fence and abducting the students. The attackers also killed the school’s vice principal during the assault.
SERAP insisted that the perpetrators and their sponsors must be identified, arrested and prosecuted. The organisation also demanded that the victims and their families be given access to justice and appropriate remedies, including psychosocial support.
The rights group stressed that Nigerian children pursuing education should not be subjected to constant threats of abduction. It reminded the government of its legal obligations under the 1999 Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to ensure safe school environments for students and teachers.
SERAP further called for full implementation of the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools, adopted in 2021, which outlines measures to strengthen school security, enhance emergency response capacity among security agencies and ensure continuity of education for children affected by conflict or crisis.
The incident has triggered widespread reactions on social media.
X user Israel Gbadebo (@israelg…) expressed frustration, writing: “Just like they rescued the Chibok girls! Nigeria is in a serious mess.”
Another user, Temitope Tosin, commented: “Just de play! Another banger on church this evening at Kwara State.”
According to UNESCO, more than 20 million children are currently out of school in Nigeria,a figure among the highest globally ,with 66 percent of them located in the northeast and northwest regions.
