Amnesty International (AI) on Friday condemned the recent abduction of over 52 students at St. Mary’s School in Niger State and criticised President Bola Tinubu’s security measures, which it said is not working.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the mass abductions in Nigeria early today of more than 52 school girls at St. Mary’s Private (Catholic) Secondary School in Papiri Community of Agwara Local Government Area of Niger state,” the organisation said in a statement via its X handle.
“Whatever security measures put in place by the government of President Bola Tinubu are not working,” AI said.
The latest mass abduction happened barely three days after more than 25 school girls were abducted at Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State.
This is a shocking indication of the authorities’ persistent failure to protect people from attacks by armed groups that have continually killed and abducted thousands of Nigerians in the last ten years.
This recent attack took place in the early hours of Friday. Terrorists attacked the school and abducted an unconfirmed number of students and staff.
The Niger State Government condemned the kidnapping of pupils from St Mary’s School in the Papiri area of Agwara Local Government Area, but blamed the school for resuming school activities without receiving security clearance.
The Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, said in a statement that the government had received intelligence warning of heightened threats in the zone and ordered a temporary shutdown of boarding schools and a halt to construction activities in the affected area.
It said the incident occurred despite an earlier security directive issued to schools in parts of Niger North.
This latest abduction follows just days after terrorists carried out a similar attack, kidnapping 25 schoolgirls from Maga Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School in Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The terrorists also reportedly killed a teacher, Hassan Makuku, and a local guard, simply identified as Ali, during the invasion.
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Similarly, during a live-streamed worship service at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun, in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, terrorists launched a sudden attack, reportedly killing at least three people and abducting several worshippers.
These incidents reflect Nigeria’s worsening crisis of insecurity across multiple states.
