FILE PHOTO: A view shows an empty classroom at the Government Science school where gunmen abducted students, in Kankara, in northwestern Katsina state, Nigeria December 14, 2020. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
ABUJA 鈥� At least听辞苍别听尘颈濒濒颈辞苍听狈颈驳别谤颈补苍听肠丑颈濒诲谤别苍听could听尘颈蝉蝉听蝉肠丑辞辞濒听this year as the new term begins amid a rise in mass聽蝉肠丑辞辞濒听kidnappings and insecurity, the United Nations听肠丑颈濒诲谤别苍鈥榮 agency UNICEF said Wednesday.
Schools have become targets for mass abductions for ransom in northern Nigeria by armed groups. Such kidnappings in Nigeria were first carried out by jihadist group Boko Haram then later its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province, but the tactic has now been adopted by criminal gangs.
So far, there have been 20 attacks on听蝉肠丑辞辞濒s in Nigeria this year, with more than 1,400聽肠丑颈濒诲谤别苍听abducted and 16 dead, UNICEF said, adding that more than 200聽肠丑颈濒诲谤别苍听are still听尘颈蝉蝉ing.
鈥淟earners are being cut off from their education鈥� as families and communities remain fearful of sending聽肠丑颈濒诲谤别苍听back to their classrooms due to the spate of聽蝉肠丑辞辞濒听attacks and student abductions in Nigeria,鈥� said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria.
More than 37聽尘颈濒濒颈辞苍听狈颈驳别谤颈补苍听肠丑颈濒诲谤别苍听are due to start the new聽蝉肠丑辞辞濒听year this month, UNICEF said. An estimated eight聽尘颈濒濒颈辞苍听have had to wait for more than a year for in-person learning after听蝉肠丑辞辞濒s were closed due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
Insecurity also leads to聽蝉肠丑辞辞濒听closures in Nigeria.
Several northwestern states have tried to curb the spate of abductions by banning the sale of fuel in jerry cans and the transport of firewood in trucks in order to disrupt gangs who travel by motorbike and camp in remote places.
In Abuja, Nigeria鈥檚 capital, the start of the聽蝉肠丑辞辞濒听term has been pushed back to an unusually late date without explanation, after听蝉肠丑辞辞濒s in nearby states were targeted by kidnappers seeking ransoms.