Wave of School Abductions May Lower Students’ Attendance Rate, Foundation Warns!

Wave of School Abductions May Lower Students’ Attendance Rate, Foundation Warns!

Reported by Marian Opeyemi Fasesan | Sele Media Africa

A UK‑based kids’ rights foundation has issued a grave warning that Nigeria’s recent surge in school kidnappings is contributing to major drops in student attendance and threatening to weaken the entire education system.

“When children are being taken from classrooms, schools become places of fear rather than learning,” said a spokesperson for Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK‑based human rights organisation. [1]

Key Details:

• CSW reports that armed attacks and abductions targeting schools across Nigeria are escalating, especially in the North and Middle Belt. [1]
• According to a study by Save the Children, over 1,600 schoolchildren have been kidnapped since April 2014, with many more never returning to school. [2]
• In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), more than 300 victims were abducted in recent months, leading to pervasive anxiety among parents and communities. [3]

Why It Matters:

• The trend not only endangers children’s safety but also discourages attendance, especially in high‑risk zones — potentially reversing decades of educational progress.
• A real decline in school attendance could widen Nigeria’s out‑of‑school youth crisis and harm long‑term economic and development outcomes.
• The warning underscores an urgent need for government and stakeholders to prioritise school‑safety measures and restore trust in learning environments.

What to Watch:

• Whether the federal government will roll out accelerated Safe Schools policies and emergency response frameworks.
• Community responses: awareness drives, parent‑teacher action groups and school‑security collaborations.
• Early‑year attendance statistics for high‑risk regions, possibly indicating drop‑offs triggered by fear of abduction.

Citations:

1. ACI Africa: www.aciafrica.org/news/10462/christian-foundation-appeals-for-safety-measures-in-nigeria-schools-as-abductions-resurge?utm_source=chatgpt.com
2. Save the Children UK: www.savethechildren.org.uk/news/media-centre/press-releases/2023/nigeria-more-than-1600-schoolchildren-kidnapped-in-nigeria-since-the-2014-chibok-girls-abduction-?utm_source=chatgpt.com
3. The Guardian Nigeria: guardian.ng/features/education/wave-of-kidnappings-unsettling-schools-education-in-abuja/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

About The Author

Marian Opeyemi Fasesan

editor

Marian Opeyemi Fasesan is a dynamic journalist and editorial leader committed to excellence in news reporting and storytelling. As the Editor-in-Chief of Sele Media Africa, she ensures daily operations run smoothly while upholding the highest editorial standards. With a strong eye for detail and deep understanding of audience engagement, Marian coordinates content across platforms, guiding teams to produce compelling, timely, and credible news. Her leadership reflects the heart of Sele Media Africa’s mission—to inform, inspire, and elevate voices across the continent.

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