The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, on Thursday condemned the recent abduction of 100 students and a teacher of Government Day Secondary School Kaya in Maradun local government area of Zamfara state, north-west Nigeria, which happened on Wednesday.
Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, also described the attack as horrific.
“We strongly condemn this attack, which has happened just a few days after kidnapped students of a school in Niger State, north-central Nigeria, were freed.
“We call on the authorities to take expedited action to rescue these students and reunite them with their families.
“We reiterate that attacks on schools and abduction of learners are 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 overall well-being,” said Hawkins.
“Schools must be safe; no child should experience any harm because they went to school, and no parent should come to grief for sending their children to learn,” he added.
