NUT Threatens Nationwide Strike Over Targeted Attacks on Schools
- The Nigeria Union of Teachers has condemned the rising wave of school attacks and warned that the education system faced a national emergency
- NUT President Audu Amba criticised government inaction as he recounted a decade-long history of mass abductions across several northern states
- The union threatened to withdraw teachers from classrooms if authorities failed to secure schools and guarantee staff safety
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The Nigeria Union of Teachers has issued a strong warning over the rise in school attacks across Kebbi and Niger, describing the situation as a national emergency that places the country’s education system at risk.
The union said the recent incidents have caused fear across learning communities and increased anxiety among educators in frontline states.
Source: Original
Speaking at a press briefing on behalf of the National Executive Council, NUT President Comrade Audu Amba said the organisation was shaken by the killing of a vice principal and a security guard, along with the abduction of 25 female students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi, and more than 300 pupils and 12 staff of St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, in Niger.
Rising insecurity threatens learning
“These barbaric attacks are unacceptable. We call on the Federal Government to bring these attacks to an end to prevent the total collapse of the education system,“ he said.
The union recalled a long list of mass kidnappings that have shaped public fear over the last decade. These include the abduction of 276 girls from Chibok in 2014, the seizure of 110 schoolgirls in Dapchi in 2018, the kidnapping of 39 students from Kaduna Forestry College in 2021, and the taking of about 200 students from GSS Jangebe in Zamfara that same year.
Other incidents listed by the union were the kidnapping of 128 students and 44 staff of Zamfara College of Agriculture in 2021, the abduction of 121 students from Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna, and the March 2024 kidnapping of 287 pupils in Kuriga. Amba said the pattern shows that schools remain soft targets despite years of appeals for protection.
“This is not merely a series of attacks on schools. This is an assault on the entire foundation of education and sustainable development in Nigeria,” he said.
The NUT expressed concern that constant attacks have forced schools in several districts to shut down, cutting thousands of children off from learning.
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The union faulted the slow implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration, saying the plan is critical to securing classrooms across the country.
“We demand intensified efforts to rescue abducted students and staff, and the immediate strengthening of security around schools, particularly in high-risk areas,” the statement read.
The union condoled with affected families and communities. Amba said the continued detention of pupils inflicts lasting trauma on the nation.
“If these deadly attacks continue, the union will have no option but to direct all teachers to stay away from classrooms until their safety is guaranteed,” he warned.
I know the whereabouts of bandits - Zamfara gov
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara state had declared that he has the capacity to end banditry in the state within two months if given direct control over security agencies.
He said he knew the precise locations of the bandits terrorising the states by kidnapping residents and killing indiscriminately and unjustifiably.
Governor Lawal, however, mentioned one thing that was stopping him from arresting the bandits despite knowing their location.
Source: Legit.ng
