Home News Africa Child group decries abduction of college students by bandits – The Nation Newspaper

Child group decries abduction of college students by bandits – The Nation Newspaper

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By Augustine Okezie, Katsina

A child group, Save the Children International (SCI) has described as ‘horrific news’ reports of incessant abduction of college students and the attendant disruption of academic activities by bandits in parts of Nigeria.

Reacting to news of the abduction of about 80 students and killing of a police officer by marauding bandits in Kebbi State, the Nigerian Country Director of SCI, Mercy Gichuhi said: “Save the Children is horrified by reports that 80 students have been abducted from their college in Kebbi State. Their safety and well-being remain our primary concern, and our hearts go out to them and their families. We call for their immediate and unconditional release and a safe return to their families.”

“Places of learning should never be targets, and children should never be abducted. This is a grave violation of children’s rights, and Save the Children is deeply concerned about the protection of children in the places that should be safest for them.

Just this week, children marked Day of the African Child by calling on leaders to ensure their education and allow them to return to school safely, free from attacks. Even before COVID-19, many children across Nigeria and the continent were shut out of school due to violence. This attack is a grave reminder of how real this threat is.

She further recalled that this is the third assault by armed gangs seeking ransom payments on a school or college in Nigeria in less than a month, warning that recurring attacks on schools in the North is a grave violation of child rights.

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