1,683 Children Kidnapped, 184 Killed In School Attacks – Report

No fewer than 1,683 school learners were kidnapped and 184 killed in attacks on schools linked to banditry and insecurity across Nigeria over an eight-year period.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by Save the Children International (SCI) to journalists in Katsina, marking the 2026 International Day of Education.

The child-focused organisation said the figures, covering 2014 to 2022, reflect the severe and continuing threat facing children, teachers and education infrastructure, particularly in conflict-affected parts of the country.

During the same period, 70 school attacks were recorded, while 25 school buildings were destroyed, further disrupting access to education.

SCI noted that schools, once considered safe spaces for learning and development, have increasingly become targets, creating fear among families and communities.

The violence has led to temporary and prolonged school closures, displacement of families and psychological trauma for many children.

According to the organisation, the consequences extend beyond immediate casualties. Repeated attacks have contributed to rising dropout rates and deepened Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis, especially in vulnerable rural communities.

Girls are often disproportionately affected, as insecurity forces many parents to withdraw them from school permanently.

The destruction of school facilities has also placed additional pressure on already overstretched education systems, resulting in overcrowded classrooms in safer areas and a decline in learning quality.

Save the Children called for stronger protection of schools and the urgent implementation of national safe school policies. It urged authorities and partners to improve security coordination, invest in protective measures around learning environments, and ensure children can continue their education without fear.

The organisation warned that continued attacks on schools risk normalising insecurity around education and undermining long-term national development, with children paying the highest price.

It further noted that Nigeria’s education sector is facing what stakeholders describe as a crisis of alarming proportions, with more than 28 million children and adolescents lacking access to formal schooling or digital learning, according to figures highlighted to mark the International Day of Education.

The country director of SCI, Duncan Harvey, said young people are already strategic drivers of change, noting that the organisation is strengthening youth-led advocacy for safe school implementation, supporting youth leadership in emergency education responses, and advancing skills development for adolescents affected by conflict and displacement.

He urged authorities to implement the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools at the federal and state levels, to integrate youth voices into education governance, and to expand safe, disability-inclusive, and gender-responsive learning environments, particularly in underserved and insecure areas.