Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has expressed concern over the recent abduction of dozens of schoolchildren by armed groups in parts of northern and southern Nigeria, calling on authorities to urgently rescue the victims and strengthen security around schools.
The organisation described the incidents as “alarming”, warning that repeated attacks on schools were deepening the country’s education crisis and exposing children to grave danger.
In a statement issued yesterday, Amnesty International disclosed that at least 82 schoolchildren were abducted between May 13 and May 15, 2026, during separate attacks in Borno State and Oyo State.
According to the rights group, 42 pupils were kidnapped on May 13 and 14, after armed men attacked schools in Askira-Uba and Chibok local government areas of Borno State. The organisation said the affected schools in the North-East included Primary and Government Day Junior Secondary School, Mussa, as well as Local Authority School in Askira-Uba.
Amnesty International further stated that another 40 schoolchildren were abducted on May 15 after gunmen invaded communities in Oriire local government area of Oyo State. It identified the affected schools in Oyo as Ahoro-Esinele and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele.
The organisation urged the Nigerian government and security agencies to take swift and decisive action to ensure the safe return of the victims. “The Nigerian authorities must take immediate and decisive action to investigate these incidents, rescue the victims safely, and take more concrete prevention measures to stop endless targeting of schools and children”, the statement read.
Amnesty International lamented that some of the abducted victims were as young as two years old, describing the situation as disturbing and unacceptable.
The group warned that persistent attacks on educational institutions were discouraging school attendance, particularly in vulnerable communities already grappling with insecurity.
The rights organisation also accused authorities of repeatedly failing to properly investigate school abductions and prosecute those responsible. According to Amnesty, victims and their families are often left without justice, accountability, or adequate support after such traumatic incidents.
The group argued that the inability of authorities to guarantee citizens’ safety amounted to a violation of Nigeria’s obligations under the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
