The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of schoolchildren and teachers abducted during recent attacks on educational institutions in Oyo and Borno states, warning that the growing trend poses a grave threat to children’s right to education and safety.
Fall made the appeal during a meeting in Abuja with officials of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC), led by its Commandant, Dr. Samuel Umanah, as concerns mount over persistent attacks on schools and learning communities across the country.
The meeting focused on the security challenges confronting schools, the welfare of affected pupils and teachers, and measures required to strengthen the protection of educational institutions from violent attacks.
Expressing deep concern over the incidents, Fall said schools must remain protected spaces where children can learn without fear of violence or abduction.
“The UN Resident Coordinator is deeply saddened that these school children and their teachers are still being held by armed groups. Schools must remain safe havens for learning and not places of fear. Children should never be a target,” he said.
The UN official noted that the attacks in Oyo and Borno underscore the urgent need for stronger safeguards around schools, particularly in vulnerable communities where insecurity continues to disrupt education.
The concern follows separate attacks on schools in both states in which dozens of pupils and teachers were reportedly abducted by armed men.
In Oyo State, gunmen attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting more than 40 pupils, including toddlers, alongside several teachers. The affected schools were Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community High School, Ahoro-Esienle; and L.A. Primary School.
The attacks also claimed the lives of two teachers, one of whom was reportedly killed during the assault, while another was later murdered in captivity.
In a similar incident in Mussa, Borno State, armed assailants stormed three schools and abducted more than 50 children, many of them between the ages of two and five years. The schools affected included Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School and SUBEB Secondary School.
While acknowledging efforts by government authorities and security agencies to secure the victims’ release, Fall urged a more coordinated response to ensure their safe return.
“The recent attacks highlight the urgent need to strengthen measures that protect children, teachers and educational facilities from violence. Every effort must be made to secure the swift and safe return of those still in captivity,” he said.
He further called for the perpetrators of the attacks to be identified, apprehended and prosecuted, stressing that impunity only emboldens future attacks on schools.
Fall reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations system in Nigeria to supporting initiatives aimed at creating safe and inclusive learning environments, particularly in conflict-affected areas.
According to him, protecting access to education remains critical to national development and social stability, adding that attacks on schools deprive children of opportunities and expose them to long-term trauma.
“The UN’s collective commitment to promoting safe, inclusive and violence-free learning environments remains unwavering,” he said.
He also advocated the full implementation of the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools, stronger emergency response mechanisms and improved use of data and intelligence to identify and address threats facing educational institutions.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment by both the United Nations and the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre to deepen collaboration aimed at safeguarding schools, protecting learners and ensuring that education is not disrupted by insecurity.
