UN Demands Urgent Rescue as Oyo, Borno School Abductions Deepen National Alarm
The United Nations has issued a strong appeal for the immediate and safe release of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in recent attacks in Oyo and Borno States, warning that repeated assaults on schools are pushing Nigeria’s education system into deeper crisis.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, made the call after a meeting with the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre in Abuja.
He said the pattern of attacks targeting learning environments is “deeply disturbing” and undermines both child protection and public confidence in school safety.
Fall stressed that schools must remain protected spaces, not theatres of fear, urging authorities to intensify coordinated efforts to rescue all victims and bring perpetrators to justice.
In Oyo State, gunmen reportedly stormed three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, abducting more than 40 pupils and seven teachers. Two teachers were killed during the attack, according to earlier reports.
A similar incident unfolded in Borno State, where armed attackers invaded schools in Mussa community and abducted over 40 children, many of them very young.
The twin attacks have reignited national concern over the vulnerability of rural and border communities, where schools often operate with limited protection despite rising threats.
In response, the Oyo State House of Assembly rejected suggestions to negotiate with the attackers, instead calling for intensified rescue operations and urgent security reviews across exposed school facilities.
Families of abducted children in Borno remain in distress, saying they have spent weeks without verified information on the whereabouts of their children, heightening fears and emotional strain.
Security authorities say rescue operations are ongoing and intelligence-led, stressing that operational timing is critical to avoid endangering hostages.
The federal government has reiterated its commitment to securing the safe return of all abducted victims, stating that security and intelligence agencies have been fully mobilised to respond to the crisis.
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