Fear, Panic Grip Schools As Parents Decry Rising Abductions Of Pupils In Kebbi, Niger

Parents, school owners and teachers across the country have expressed deep concern over the escalating abductions of schoolchildren, particularly the 327 pupils kidnapped in Kebbi and Niger states within one week.

Naija News reports that they warned that with the current wave of attacks, no school can predict which institution might be targeted next.

Schools in the North have suffered multiple attacks in recent days.

On Monday, 26 schoolgirls were abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State. Two later escaped, leaving 24 still in captivity.

By Friday, initial reports indicated that 215 pupils and 12 teachers had been kidnapped at St. Mary’s School in Niger State. A subsequent headcount showed the number of abducted students had risen to 303.

Despite assurances from security agencies and state governments, the whereabouts of the abducted pupils remain unknown.

The Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Otubela Abayomi, said the association’s National Executive Committee would convene on Sunday to assess the situation.

Speaking with Sunday Punch, Otubela described the abductions as a major blow to national development.

“It is a matter of grave concern to us. We are also speaking to our local chairperson in that area to supply us with firsthand information aside from what is being reported in the media,” he said.

He described the wave of kidnappings as “painful” and “saddening,” warning that it threatens the future of the country.

“It seems there is no end to the kidnapping of children and workers within schools. This is not a good omen for national development as those who are supposed to lead the country in the future are being denied quality education, and those who have not been attacked are full of fear at the moment,” he said.

Otubela added that although none of their schools had been directly affected, the association was deeply troubled.

“We are grieving. The fact that it has not affected us directly or any of us directly does not mean we are not thinking that one man’s problem is everybody’s problem,” he said.

Parents Lament: ‘This Is Scary’

The President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, described the situation as frightening.

He noted that the Federal Government had ordered the closure of 45 schools following the attacks.

“We want the Federal Government to ensure that those who have been kidnapped are safe, rescued and brought back home. It’s like the bandits planned ahead to outsmart our security agencies,” he said.

Danjuma urged authorities to act swiftly to prevent a repeat of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls abduction.

“They need to save our children because this does not go down well with parents. They should bring back our children. We don’t want a repeat of the Chibok girls,” he warned.