By John Umeh
A new wave of coordinated assaults on schools in Niger and Kebbi states last week has reignited national alarm over the worsening insecurity facing children in northern Nigeria. The Federal Government, citing escalating threats, has now ordered the closure of 41 Unity Colleges across the country.
The latest tragedies—303 students abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State on Friday, and 25 students seized in Kebbi State earlier in the week—have drawn painful parallels to the 2014 Chibok schoolgirl abduction that first thrust the issue onto the global stage.
A Crisis With a Decade-Long Trail
Since Boko Haram stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok on April 14, 2014, Nigeria has witnessed an unbroken chain of student kidnappings. According to data from UNICEF and Save the Children International, at least 70 attacks occurred between 2014 and 2022, leading to:
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1,680+ students abducted
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180 children killed
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90 injured
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Over 90 still missing
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60 school staff kidnapped
But the violence has not slowed. A Sunday Vanguard investigation found that between January 2023 and November 2025, Nigeria recorded 22 more school attacks, resulting in 816 additional students abducted. Combined, verified cases now total 2,496 student kidnappings across 92 separate incidents.
Security experts warn these figures likely underrepresent the true scale of the crisis, as many attacks—especially in remote areas of Niger, Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina—go unreported.
The Evolution of a Deadly Enterprise
The Chibok attack marked a turning point. Boko Haram’s mass abduction strategy soon inspired criminal gangs in the North-West, who converted kidnapping into a profitable business model. Communities across Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and Sokoto have since been repeatedly targeted as armed groups exploit weak policing, porous borders and widespread poverty.
UNICEF reports that only 37% of schools in ten high-risk states have functional early-warning systems. Human Rights Watch says bandits now operate with “systemic impunity.”
Key Flashpoints: From Chibok to Kuriga
Chibok, Borno (April 2014)
276 schoolgirls abducted, sparking the #BringBackOurGirls movement. Over 90 remain unaccounted for a decade later.
Kuriga, Kaduna (March 2024)
287 pupils taken during morning assembly. Kidnappers reportedly demanded ₦1 billion. Analysts blamed the rise on unchecked ransom networks.
A Generation Living With Fear
The psychological toll has been staggering. UNICEF estimates over one million children now fear attending school. In 2020 alone, 11,500 schools were closed due to insecurity. Survivors frequently wrestle with trauma, stigma and derailed education, often without access to long-term rehabilitation.
Government Response: Reactive, Not Preventive
Each major abduction triggers rapid political statements, emergency deployments, and promises of reform. After the Kebbi kidnapping, President Bola Tinubu ordered the Minister of Defence to relocate to the state.
But follow-through has been uneven. While some rescue operations succeed quickly, others stall for months. Analysts describe Nigeria’s security response as “episodic and fragmented,” lacking sustained strategy or investment.
Though some state governments have reinforced fences, reviewed boarding school policies, and occasionally shut schools, advocacy groups insist that most actions remain temporary band-aids.
The Ransom Question
Despite federal insistence on a no-ransom stance, multiple credible reports—ranging from parents, local leaders and independent investigators—suggest ransom payments have played a role in several high-profile releases.
Examples include:
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Chibok (2016 & 2017): Reports of ₦3 million paid in two tranches.
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Kuriga (2024): Intelligence reports suggest cash was sent into forest camps.
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Greenfield University (2021): Parents reportedly paid ₦180 million + 10 motorcycles.
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Dapchi (2018): UN reports hinted at substantial payments.
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Kankara (2020): Media claimed ₦344 million demanded; government denied payment.
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Afaka (2021): Alleged payment of ₦15 million + prisoner exchange.
Experts warn that ransom incentives have emboldened criminal groups and entrenched kidnapping as a business.
Growing Calls for Overhaul
Parents and education stakeholders say they feel abandoned.
Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, President of the National Parent and Teacher Association of Nigeria, described the crisis as “an unbearable burden,” saying families desperately want their children educated but are terrified.
NANS South-West Coordinator, Comrade Alao John, urged government at all levels to secure school environments and treat banditry as a national emergency.
Civil society groups, UNICEF and Human Rights Watch are calling for:
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Full implementation of safe-school standards
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Stronger intelligence-gathering systems
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Clear national policy on ransom
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Better-trained rapid-response units
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Community-based early warning networks
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Long-term psychosocial support for survivors
Without these, experts warn, Nigeria risks normalising a cycle of fear that could cripple its education system for years.
Timeline of Major School Abductions in Nigeria (2014–2025)
2014–2025 key incidents include:
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14 April 2014 — Chibok, Borno: 276 girls abducted.
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25 May 2017 — Igbonla, Lagos: Six students taken.
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19 February 2018 — Dapchi, Yobe: 110 girls abducted.
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11 December 2020 — Kankara, Katsina: Over 300 boys kidnapped.
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17 February 2021 — Kagara, Niger: 27 students + staff taken.
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26 February 2021 — Jangebe, Zamfara: 279 schoolgirls abducted.
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11 March 2021 — Afaka, Kaduna: 39 abducted.
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20 April 2021 — Greenfield University, Kaduna: 20 abducted.
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5 July 2021 — Bethel Baptist, Kaduna: 120+ taken.
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30 May 2021 — Tegina, Niger: About 200 pupils taken.
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17 June 2021 — Yauri, Kebbi: 11 students kidnapped.
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2023–2024: Multiple NYSC, university and secondary school abductions across Nasarawa, Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Kaduna, Zamfara and Imo.
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7 March 2024 — Kuriga, Kaduna: 287 pupils abducted.
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17 November 2025 — Kebbi: 25 girls kidnapped; vice principal killed.
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21 November 2025 — Niger: 303 students taken from Catholic school.
