Amnesty International has raised the alarm over a fresh wave of school abductions across Nigeria, warning that repeated attacks on students are deepening insecurity and threatening access to education.
The organisation on its X account on Saturday, said armed groups carried out coordinated attacks within days of each other in both northern and southern parts of the country, abducting dozens of schoolchildren.
“The Nigerian authorities must take immediate and decisive action to investigate these incidents, rescue the victims safely, and take more concrete prevention measures to stop endless targeting of schools and children,” Amnesty International said.
According to the statement, on May 13 and 14, 2026, 42 schoolchildren were abducted after armed groups attacked schools in Askira Uba and Chibok Local Government Areas of Borno State in the northeast.
It added that on May 15, 2026, at least 40 schoolchildren were abducted following an attack by armed men in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Amnesty warned that many victims of similar incidents are never released, saying the persistent threat of kidnapping is forcing families to withdraw children from school for safety reasons.
“The possibility of abduction is forcing millions of children to abandon education, while underaged girls are having their education terminated and forced into marriage as a means of avoiding abduction at school,” the organisation said.
The rights group also criticised what it described as repeated failures by authorities to ensure accountability and prevent further attacks on schools and communities.
“After each school abduction, authorities never fulfil promises to investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice. Victims and their families continue to be denied access to justice and effective remedies,” it added.
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