UNICEF, Amnesty Int’l Say Zamfara Abduction ‘Gross Violation Of Children’s Rights’

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has described the abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls from a Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) in Zamfara State as “a gross violation of children’s rights”.

The UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, stated this in a statement on Friday.

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Recall that the police had confirmed that 317 female students were abducted when unknown gunmen invaded the school situated in Jangebe village, Talata Mafara Local Government Area of the state

Hawkins, while calling for the safe rescue of the schoolgirls, demanded that all stakeholders in the country should make schools safe.

“We are angered and saddened and by yet another brutal attack on schoolchildren in Nigeria. This is a gross violation of children’s rights and a horrific experience for children to go through – one which could have long-lasting effects on their mental health and well-being.

“We utterly condemn the attack and call on those responsible to release the girls immediately and for the government to take steps to ensure their safe release and the safety of all other schoolchildren in Nigeria.

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“Children should feel safe at home and at school at all times – and parents should not need to worry about the safety of their children when they send them off to school in the morning.

In a similar vein, Amnesty Nigeria has described the abduction as a war crime and one that puts education in northern Nigeria under attack.

“Amnesty International condemns this appalling attack, which is the latest in a string of attacks on schools in northern Nigeria. —Attacks on schools and abductions of girls are war crimes.

“Education is under attack in northern Nigeria. Schools should be places of safety, and no child should have to choose between their education and their life. Other children have had to abandon their education after being displaced by frequent violent attacks on their communities.

In a tweet on Friday, the organisation said the abducted girls “are at serious risk of being harmed”, adding that the federal government set up measures to facilitate the return of all children currently under the custody of armed groups.

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THE WHISTLER recalls that the Zamfara abduction came about eight days after 27 students and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State, were kidnapped from their dormitories. The schoolboys and workers are yet to regain their freedom as of the time this report was filed.

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