Save the Children condemns abduction Kebbi schoolgirls, calls for urgent government action

Save the Children International has condemned the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state.

The organisation said the attack exposes the fragility of the education system in regions where children, especially girls, continue to face persistent threats from armed groups.

“This is another painful reminder of the persistent threats to education in Nigeria, especially in the northwest, where children, especially girls, continue to face violence and insecurity,” the statement reads.

Save the Children noted that “every child has the right to learn in safety, free from fear of abduction, kidnapping or any form of harm,” warning that recurring assaults on schools continue to traumatise learners, disrupt communities, and endanger Nigeria’s future.

Quoting international protections for children, the organisation added that “the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Nigeria’s Child Rights Act recognize education as a fundamental right. We all have a collective responsibility to ensure that children, regardless of their circumstances, can fulfill this right”.

The organisation urged the federal government and the Kebbi state government to act swiftly to rescue the abducted students, bring the perpetrators to justice, and scale up security measures in vulnerable schools through early warning systems, community-based protection initiatives, and rapid response mechanisms.

The international organisation also called on the federal government to strengthen the implementation of the national policy on safety, security, and violence-free schools and the minimum standards for safe schools.

Save the Children expressed concern that the attack comes despite a decline in major school abductions in recent years.

The organisation noted that this is the first major school abduction since March 2024, when more than 200 pupils were kidnapped in Kuriga, Kaduna State.

“Education is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right. The time to act is now, and decisive measures must be taken,” the statement added.

“Government, communities, and partners must unite to make every school a safe and protected place for learning. No child should pay for education with their life.”

Duncan Harvey, Save the Children’s country director in Nigeria, urged both federal and state authorities to ensure the girls’ safe return and to strengthen security measures around schools in high-risk areas.