- Residents scampered for safety as the hoodlums shot sporadically
Amnesty International (AI) has expressed deep regret and unequivocal condemnation for the abduction of 200 primary and secondary school students along with their teachers in Kuriga, Kaduna State.
The global human rights body calls on Nigerian authorities to ensure their safe rescue, emphasizing that schools must remain sanctuaries, and no child should face the dire choice between education and life.
The abduction occurred at LGEA Primary School, Kuriga (1), Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday morning, shortly after the 8:20 am morning assembly.
Residents scampered for safety as the hoodlums shot sporadically.
Locals said the headteacher of the school and some other staff were among the victims.
However reacting in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, the Amnesty International appealed to Nigerian authorities to take concrete measures immediately to prevent attacks on schools.
The statement partly read: “Amnesty International condemns the appalling abduction of 200 primary and secondary school students and their teachers in #Kuriga, Kaduna State.
“We are calling on the Nigerian authorities to safely rescue the students and hold the suspected perpetrators to account.
“Schools should be places of safety, and no child should have to choose between their education and their life.
“The Nigerian authorities must take measures immediately to prevent attacks on schools, to protect children’s lives and their right to education.
Kidnap of school children had become a routine or regular feature in northern Nigeria since the infamous abduction of Chibok girls.