“Release Them Now”: UN Steps In After Oyo and Borno School Abductions Hit 3-Week Mark

Amid growing alarm over school raids, student abductions, and the recent killings of two teachers, the United Nations is demanding action.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall has called for the immediate, safe release of all students and teachers seized during recent attacks in Oyo and Borno states.

Fall sounded the alarm on Nigeria’s worsening school security crisis following an Abuja meeting with Dr. Samuel Umanah, Commandant of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, according to a statement obtained by Persecondnews.

He said discussions at the meeting focused on the challenges confronting schools and conveyed solidarity with affected families, school authorities and communities.

Persecondnews recalls that terrorists had on May 15 attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting more than 40 pupils, including toddlers, and seven teachers. The affected schools were Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community High School, Ahoro-Esienle; and L.A. Primary School.

During the attack, one teacher was reportedly killed, while another was later beheaded by the kidnappers in the forest.

In a separate incident in Mussa, Borno State, armed men attacked three schools and abducted more than 50 children, most of them between the ages of two and five.

The affected institutions included Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School and SUBEB Secondary School.

Reacting to the incidents, Fall said schools should remain safe spaces for learning and not become targets of violence.

“The UN Resident Coordinator is deeply saddened that these school children and their teachers are still being held by armed groups. Schools must remain safe havens for learning and not places of fear. Children should never be a target,” he said.

He noted that the attacks underscored the urgent need for stronger measures to protect children, teachers and educational facilities from insecurity and violence.

While acknowledging efforts by the government and security agencies to secure the victims’ release, Fall urged authorities to intensify actions aimed at ensuring their swift and safe return. He also called for those responsible for the attacks to be apprehended and prosecuted.

The UN official reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote safe, inclusive and violence-free learning environments across Nigeria.

According to him, protecting children’s right to education remains especially critical in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities where schools have increasingly come under attack.

Fall also advocated the full implementation of the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools, improved emergency response mechanisms and a stronger data-driven approach to protecting schools and at-risk children.

“The UN’s collective commitment to promoting safe, inclusive and violence-free learning environments remains unwavering.”