It has been more than four days since over 280 students and teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School in Kuriga, Kaduna State, were abducted, and no release has been recorded.

Development Diaries reports that the bandits invaded the Kuriga area of Chikun last Thursday, shooting at their victims before taking away at least 280 people.

Despite the federal government’s assurance in October 2023 that the implementation of the safe school policy has commenced, abduction of schoolchildren is not yet a thing of the past.

With the latest abduction of students, everyone is left wondering how effective the policy implementation has been.

In March 2015, Nigeria pledged to protect education during armed conflicts by endorsing the global Safe Schools Declaration. This was ratified in 2019, committing that the government would legally implement the declaration.

Nigeria is required under the declaration to implement plans and policies aimed at preventing, responding to, and combating attacks on schools, as well as fighting impunity for such attacks.

Unfortunately, not much has been done to protect learners from attacks, especially in the northern region of the country.

According to Amnesty International, the future of thousands of schoolchildren in northern Nigeria remains bleak as hundreds of schools in some states have been closed indefinitely due to rising insecurity.

The constant attacks on schools will continue to pose a significant threat to education, as the fear of violence or abduction would prevent parents from sending their children to school, depriving them of the opportunity to learn and contribute to the nation’s development.

Development Diaries calls on the police in Kaduna State and other security operatives to ensure the rescue of the victims. We also call on President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, and the Kaduna State government to double efforts towards providing a safe learning environment for children.